Description

The early 20th century saw a special vogue for slow waltzes in Parisian salons, inspiring Debussy to produce his piano waltz "La plus que lente" ("The Slower-than-Slow") with a twinkle in his eye. Parisian publisher Durand brought Debussy's work to a wider audience that same year, publishing it as a supplement to Le Figaro, as well as arranging it for violin and piano, and piano four-hands. Debussy himself later orchestrated the piece, and in 1913 recorded a version for piano roll at a brisker tempo for the Welte-Mignon company. This "molto rubato con morbidezza" (with suppleness) waltz is now available as a standalone Henle Urtext edition, with a preface expanding on the work's history in the HN 1194 and HN 404 anthology volumes.