Waltz for Anna

Stuart O'Neil

General Info

Year of Published: 2013
Publisher: Tapspace Publications
Difficulty: Elementary
Duration: 00:03:20
Cost: Score and Parts - $35.00   |   Score Only - $9.00

Instrumentation

Solo

Flute

Ensemble

Player 1: Glockenspiel
Player 2: Toy Piano
Player 3: Marimba 1
Player 4: Marimba 2
Player 5: Timpani
Player 6: Tambourine
Player 7: Suspended Cymbal
Player 8: Triangle
Player 9: Bass Drum

Program Notes

Waltz for Anna was composed on Christmas night 2008, the inspiration coming from my young daughter dancing around the tree and living room with her new doll, Sally. Dynamic markings are provided on the page, but they are merely guidelines. The ensemble volume should always be dictated by the flute; a mezzo-forte for a flute in the staff is obviously less than a mezzo-forte high above the staff. While the dynamic range should vary throughout the piece, there should be no real surprises. The texture throughout is very light; instruments such as the suspended cymbal, timpani and bass drum should never become heavy or cumbersome. There are no flats or sharps in the toy piano part; C-diatonic toy pianos are fairly easy to find in department stores and toy stores. This is a simple, delicate piece; it is also somewhat bittersweet, a reminder that a daughter doesn’t stay five years old forever.

Review

Joshua Smith states that "This waltz is childlike and sweet, innocent and playful. Inspired by the composer’s young daughter dancing with a new doll around the family Christmas tree, this 3½-minute work for flute and nine percussionists evokes emotions that are delicate, warm, and dreamy without sounding hokey and forced. While the composer intended to enhance the childlike-nature of the piece by including a toy piano, one could easily add variety of timbre by substituting a glockenspiel played with finger cymbals if no toy piano is available. Rhythmic difficulty ranges from easy to medium, all mallet parts require only two mallets, and the most difficult techniques are found in the solo flute line. To that end, the flutist needs a decent handle on intonation, breath support, as well as dotted eighths in 3/4 time— techniques grasped by most upper-level high school players. This is a simple, yet delicate piece."

Recent Performances

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Works for Percussion by this Composer

Percussion Ensemble Works

Parade of the Penguins (Ensemble Version) - 12 Players

Solo Flute with Percussion Ensemble Works

Clockwork (O'Neil) - Percussion Nonet
Nzuri Mwana - Percussion 14
Rain (O'Neil) - Percussion 10
Waltz for Anna - Percussion Nonet