Hi Mark,

No, I think you're seeing the fresh young thing with the feather in her hat. I chose 6/4 for a couple of reasons, one of which it can be either duple or triple, in effect, depending on how you divide it. If you indeed hear the waltz beginning at measure 33 (where it begins) and measure 59 (where it is repeated, though not exactly), then you have heard the little waltz sections. Sandwiched between (I believe that's where I put it) is a little march, probably with a 2/4 flavor. The other reason for the 6/4 meter is that if you think of it as not divided, there is a less frequent primary accent, which is what I wanted for the first theme (a repeated figure, really, I guess). I thought of 12/4, originally, and changing to 3/4 for the waltz and 2/4 for the march and the section with the left hand octaves. But I don't like to change time signature if it can be avoided--purely personal prejudice.

Anyhow, it sounds as if you have heard what I intended, which of course does not make me unhappy.

I thought when I closed the file last night that I'd stick in the dynamic marks tonight and then print it out. But yikes there are indeed more accents planned, too, and I haven't done anything with note velocity, other than a few measures where I reduced it in the left hand to confirm how those measures would sound. I will do those things tonight.

"Lento" for me still best describes the feeling I want from the first section. But where the tempo changes, I think instead of being prescriptive with numerical tempo indications, I'll change them to terms like "little slow waltz," "little march" and "energetic."

Sorry about the left hand jumps. When I last played the piano, about 2o years ago, I was playing a lot of rags, mostly Joplin, and thirty years before that I learned most of Chopin's waltzes, so I suppose I don't think much about them. You might bring the notes played by the little finger up and octave and hit them a bit harder. At least see how it sounds that way.

Thanks for the comments and especially for reminding me that the piece is not done.

all best,
mgj