commentary to Waltz for Inken

Waltz for Inken for Strings and Piano (2002)

Duration: 2 Minutes

This short waltz for strings and piano is the final musical declaration of love by Bertold Hummel to his wife Inken. He had met her at the age ot 25 when they played string quartets together at the Conservatory of Music in Freiburg. The pair married during a concert tour through South Africa and subsequently spent almost fifty years of happiness with one another. It is therefore no surprise that the waltz begins with a diffuse reflection of Wagner's Tristan motif. The harmonic allusions to Rosenkavalier can be explained by the occasion of the composition. This buoyant yet melancholic waltz was performed on Inken's 75th birthday on 22 April 2002 m an interpretation by the substantial family orchestra.

Martin Hummel