Valse-favorite in B flat major, G.vi170
Romantic Waltz Piano solo ~3 min
In brief

This Waltz-favorite in B-flat major has the feel of an intimate, slightly nostalgic dance, with accents that need to be softened rather than projected. You will specifically work on Tempo rubato (3.9/5) — here that means applying very small hold-backs and pushes on the melody while keeping the left-hand triple pulse steady — and Phrasing (3.9/5), which requires careful legato connections and micro-diminuendos to shape each phrase like a breath. A product of the Romantic period, it belongs among Glinka’s salon-style piano pieces, meant to charm by its poise and lyricism rather than by heroic display. I do not give a recommended recording because I am not fully certain of a definitive reference for this particular piece.

MusicCoach difficulty
55/100
Intermediate
Likely range : 43–67/100
Confidence : 40% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 6

Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

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Relative difficulty
60%
Among Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka
44%
Era Romantic
60%
Genre
Estimated skills
Interpretation
Phrasing
1
Rhythm
Tempo rubato
1
Pedaling
Sustain pedal
1
Style
Romantic style
1
Technique
Legato
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
1
Technique
Staccato
1
What to play next?

Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.

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