Valses Bourgeoises (Piano Duet)

Lord Berners (1883-1950) was an eccentric and idiosyncratic British peer and composer. His Valses Bourgeoises (1918) were the only Piano Duets he wrote, and were performed at the 1923 SalzburgFestival.The three movements are titled Valse Brillante, Valse Caprice, and Strauss, Strauss et Straus. His wry humour shines through as he crafts what some people see as the final tribute to this great art form otherssee it as the last nail in the coffin. He incorporates quotes from Schumann, Strauss, Strauss, and Straus, and while changes in time signature and tempo make it impossible to dance to, this suite is one of the mostentertainingPiano Duets in the genre.