The
Quatrième valse, in D flat, is a good example of Chaminade’s mastery of this particular dance genre. After a swaggering opening the blithe and attractive main tune dominates the proceedings, sometimes enveloped in trills and ornamentation. The middle section, whose subject is rather more serious and ardent, is in B minor. The modulatory passage that then leads back to the main waltz tune is subtly expressive, and the coda is Chaminade at her most flamboyant.
from notes by Calum MacDonald © 1996
