Ok, ok… I have been asked by several to post some photos from the piano composition competition this summer in Austria, so here goes! What an extraordinary experience our family had in Vienna last month (August 2024)!

I am grateful to the hosts of the Golden Key International Piano Composition Competition, new friends and colleagues, the extravagantly beautiful and historical Ehrbar Hall with its grand Bechstein piano, and of course, the incomparable city of Vienna, home of the beloved Waltz! Special heartfelt thanks go to Anna Leyerer, my virtuoso pianist who brought the music to life.

For Purchase Options of Solo Piano Sheet Music, please click on the following LINK to J.W.Pepper:

https://www.jwpepper.com/the-Jester’s-Waltz/11519402.item

VIDEO of Anna’s performance:

the Jester’s Waltz composed by Richard Altenbach, ASCAP

Richard’s piano piece, “the Jester’s Waltz”, was awarded the Diploma in the Second Degree in National Professional Category in the Golden Key International Piano Composition Competition. The composition was performed at the World Composers’ Recital at the Golden Key Music Festival in Vienna, on July 31, 2024, where Richard was awarded the Diploma and Winner’s Medal on the stage of Vienna’s historic Ehrbar Hall during the Award Ceremony. This is a recording of the live concert performance.

Performance Notes: Being of Viennese extraction, Richard has always had a soft spot for the beauty and elegance of the waltz. But this is not that! Rather than a reverential bow to Johann Strauss, “the Jester’s Waltz” owes more to the influence of Erik Satie and Cirque du Soleil. A wild and farcical parody of the once-venerable dance form, it’s called the jester’s waltz because the jester dances, and he juggles, and tumbles and fumbles, and sometimes even dabbles into moments of beauty … But, not to worry; he soon gets right back on track!The piece has been described as “playful, hilarious, manic, fiendishly fast”…all of which bodes well to be entrusted to the sleight of hand mastery of a willing virtuoso pianist.

Richard’s Piano piece, The Jester’s Waltz, was awarded the Diploma in the Second Degree in National Professional Category in the Golden Key International Piano Composition Competition. 

From the Judges: “Dear Mr. Altenbach,

Please accept our sincere congratulations on your exceptional performance at the XVII Golden Key Piano Composition Competition. You have competed among 104 participants from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, The Netherlands, The United States and awarded Second Degree Diploma in National Professional Category.”

The composition (The Jester’s Waltz) has been recommended for the program of the World Composers Recital at the Golden Key Music Festival in Vienna, on July 31, 2024, where the Diploma and Winner’s Medal will be awarded to Richard on the stage of Vienna’s historic Ehrbar Hall during the Award Ceremony. A professional pianist has been chosen to perform and video/audio record the piece at the concert!

Description of Piece:
Being of Viennese extraction, Richard
has always had a soft spot for the
beauty and elegance of the waltz. But this is not that!
Rather than a reverential bow to Johann Strauss, “the Jester’s Waltz” owes more to the influence of Erik Satie, Cirque du Soleil, and the court jester from Edgar Allan Poe’s story, “Hop-Frog”. Richard’s farcical parody of the once-venerable dance form has been called “playful, hilarious, manic, fiendishly fast”…all of which bodes well to be entrusted to the sleight of hand mastery of a willing virtuoso pianist!