Laubwalzer (Octobre)

Un an sur l’île - 12 études de concert

In my imagination, Laubwalzer is the soundtrack to an animated movie about the beautiful rhapsody of colours in the fall foliage. The opening and closing sections of the piece would show the whole island – in the beginning, the trees are full of dense, green leaves in the early autumn; at the end, the bare trees seem sparse, and the mood is more somber. Returning to the second section, we see the spirits of the forest traveling from branch to branch to change the the summer’s green to a palette of oranges, yellows, and reds. Next come the falling leaves. As they let go of their branch, the leaves engage in a sort of Viennese waltz as they twirl the breeze, ultimately landing in the soft undergrowth. There they will lay, slowly dying, becoming brittle and will be reclaimed by the forest floor. This movie is quite clear in my head when I perform Laubwalzer.

Cross-string trills and tremolos are the main element showcased here. Generally, guitarists are divided between those who prefer a cycle of p a m i or of p a i m for this technical device. Please use the means that best suits your playing.

Laubwalzer is dedicated to Thomas Kirchhoff, who is a grand-master of cross-string trill!