Harrison, Lou - A Waltz for Evelyn Hinrichsen

A Waltz for Evelyn Hinrichsen was Harrison’s contribution to Waltzes for 25 Contemporary Composers, a collection commissioned and published by C.F. Peters Corporation in 1978. Evelyn Hinrichsen had succeeded her husband Walter Hinrichsen as the President of C.F. Peters, following his death in 1969. Harrison had known Evelyn Hinrichsen since 1937, when she was a librarian at Mills College and he was an accompanist for dance recitals and a partner in John Cage’s pioneering percussion concerts.

Composed before Harrison’s deep involvement with Just Intonation tunings and Asian-influenced scales, this Waltz is one of his few later pieces using standard equal temperament. As later orchestrated by the composer for the second movement of his Symphony No. 3.

The Waltz was premiered by the American pianist Yvar Mikhashoff in 1979 at the Kitchen in New York City.