The Waltz Book is an impressive achievement by any standard. Andrew Ford has composed a set of 60 waltzes to a commission from pianist Ian Munro, and has written and organised them so that they are exciting and make a coherent whole. The music contains oblique and overt references to other piano music, and parts are inspired by Finnish folk music and children’s stories. Many of the individual waltzes are dedicated to Andrew Ford’s friends and their children, celebrating their birthdays and other significant events.
Ian Munro has given a superb performance of these works, which range in difficulty from easy to virtuosic. That he recorded this CD with a broken thumb is quite astonishing.
The Waltz Book has already been performed by more than a dozen different pianists and played around Australia, Canada, Finland, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Because this is such an unusual project, an interview with Andrew Ford was done. This interview offers insight into the music and is included on a special bonus data disc than can be played in all computers.
Because many of the Waltzes are playable by student pianists, a selection of 10 works are given as PDFs on the data disc so that they can be printed out and played.
This project has been funded by the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts.
