Sunday Classics preview: Can you identify the composer(s)?

by Ken

We have here two versions of the same little waltz, one for solo piano, the other for string quartet. Obviously one is an arrangement of the other, though not necessarily by the original composer. Your challenge is to guess the composer of the original version -- who, in case you hadn't guessed, is the subject of this week's Sunday Classics. Of course, you should also identify which version is the original.

For extra credit, identify the composer of the arranged version.

Here is the piano version:



And here is the string quartet version:

Of course we're hearing differences besides piano vs. string quartet. Our pianist hears the piece as a considerably fleeter whirl than our string quartet. I suppose I could have tried to find two performances that take roughly the same tempo, but I quite like the contrast. I think this is an amazingly wonderful bit of dashed-off genius, and the durability of the materials and workmanship is for me only underscored by the range of possibilities they create.

We'll have more clues tomorrow, though the mystery composer won't be identified before Sunday.


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