Waltz from "Masquerade"
In 1941 Khachaturian was asked to provide incidental music for a production of Lermontov's "Masquerade" which was due to be premiered on 21 June at the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. The production began but was forced to close early by the German invasion of the USSR.
Because it's mentioned in the play, the composer needed to invent a waltz which would conjure the atmosphere of 1830s St Petersburg, something which did not come naturally to an Armenian. But by immersing himself in music of the period he succeeded in writing the second strain of this waltz, which seems to have opened the door for the remainder. In the present arrangement it is set in A flat minor to give it a truly Russian character, as each section ends on the dominant minor.
Khachaturian dedicated his waltz to the prima ballerina Alla Kazanskaya (Алла Александровна Казанская).
Treble clef versions of the trombone and tuba parts are included, as is an E flat horn part.
Reproduced by permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.