Waltzes from "Die Fledermaus"

The overall character of this is playful, as one would expect from a Strauss waltz. Keep things light and remember that in all our waltz sections the music springs up from beat 1.

This is in a relaxed three at  = 112.

Poco Animato is not a sudden tempo change. Accelerate for 4 bars, with the 5th bar being at  = 160.

Slight ritard going into the fermata. 

After the fermata, a tempo to  = 112.

I will give beat 3 after the opening fermata. The second bar of the waltz will be in 1, but slower than final tempo. Accel. the next two bars to  . = 66 by the 4th bar.

In the second section, I will want to play with tempo to help the phrases breathe. It won’t be a ton, but make sure you know this music well enough to watch.

This waltz is attacca from the previous one. The first two bars ritard, then bars 3 and 4 are in 3.

The 5th bar of the waltz settles into 1 at  . = 66. 

There is a rit. 5 bars before the D.S. I go into 3 three bars before the D.S.

On the D.S., the fine is in the middle of the bar. This waltz goes directly into waltz 3, which has a pickup of two eighth notes.

This waltz continues in 1 from the previous waltz. Bar 4 of the waltz is a ritenuto, which I will conduct in 3. The a tempo the following bar will be back in 1. The ritenuto 16 bars later will be handled similarly.

This waltz has an overall more delicate character. Tempo will be  . = 54 with breathing room.

Four bars before the fermata will be in 3. Upper woodwinds, taper off the last note into the fermata. 

The second part of this waltz will be in three throughout. The ritenuto bars will be at  = 84. The a tempo bars will only get up to about  = 126. 

After the fermata over the //, tempo will be  = 76 and getting slower, not faster as marked. 

The a tempo four bars later will finally be back in one at  . = 72, so we go into the coda with momentum.

The first section of the coda rolls along in a steady one, carrying  . = 72 from the end of waltz 3. 

Two bars before the first double bar will be a significant ritard in three. The double bar will be a tempo in one.

We will start to ritard four before the second double bar. Two before the double bar will go into three, slowing further. There will be a pause on the double bar. Write in // big enough so you don’t miss it. We will be a tempo and back in one following the double bar.

There is a slight ritard before the third double bar. I will give beat 3 after the fermata. The next bar will be in 1, but slower than final tempo. Accel. the next two bars to  . = 72. The next fermata will be handled similarly.

We will be in one from that point to the end. We will accelerate slightly during the 4-bar crescendo from f to ff. We won’t go any faster than  . = 80. The character here is a joyous, playful double forte. Keep things light and buoyant. This ain’t Wagner.