Instrumentation : 3 × B♭Clarinets、1 × Bass Clarinet
Playing time : 4'30"
Grade : 3
Description : This piece is a Waltz for piano solo written in 1910 and premiered at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Paris. Debussy had taken an interest in “Walse Lente," a genre that was popular in Europe at the time and had various composers kept in his mind of left many works. In spite of its title, it is seems that Debussy didn't suppose that the piece should be played slowly. As noted by the notation "Molto rubato con morbidezza" (flexibility and extremely free tempo), Debussy kept in mind that he played at a flexible tempo, and kept a distance from "Valse Lente”. In publishing the orchestral version of this piece, in a letter to the publisher, "Let's think about the 5 o'clock tea where a beautiful audience that I dreamed of gathers." ("The tea at 5 o'clock" was introduced by Ritz Hotel founder Cesar Ritz from London to Paris) in the words written by Debussy, it also seems that “La plus que lente” portrays the urban and elegant atmosphere at the Paris salon as a sound scene.