Valse Parisienne is an elegant and charming waltz for the junior string orchestra which is also playable by string quartet or quintet. Valse Parisienne was composed in the 1980s and is relaxed, romantic, smooth and luxurious, which just about describes Paris amid the hustle and bustle of one of the world’s favourite cities. French music is rich in several distinct waltz styles: the fast Musette, the slower and more exotic Java, as well as popular songs such as Under Paris Skies sung by the legendary Edith Piaf. This piece can inspire many pictures: a stroll along the banks of the river Seine, a candle-lit dinner, the sound of an accordion drifting across a boulevard. Its Gallic charm will hopefully be enjoyed by string players of all ages. [Tony Osborne, 2005].
