Musette waltz

Elegant tune from the album “Zonder Titel” by Surmeuse, Woodhouse & DeHand. According to the sleeve notes the band doesn’t know the origins of the tune: it might be French or Scandinavian. I even heard it played in Irish sesions. SW&DH plays it in two voices, with a tuba bass, the complete transcription follows below.

X: 2
T: Musette
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmin
V: 1
DE|:D2G2A2|B2A2G2|d4e2|dc BA G^F|D2G2A2|B2A2G2|e4d2|c4cd|
e2c2d2|e2d2c2|d4B2|G4DE|D2^C2D2|B4A2|[1G2D2B,A,|G,4DE:|][2G2B2d2|g4^f2|]
|: f6|f2g2e2|d6|d2e2d2|c4d2|e2d2c2|B4A2|G3A Bc|
d6|d2c3B|A2=E2F2|^F6|D2^C2D2|B4A2|G2B2d2|[1g4^f2:|][2g4g^f|]
|: g4d^c|d4BA|B4G^F|G2B2d2|e4d2|c2e2g2|d4c2|B4A2|
D2^F2G2|A6|D2G2A2|B4DE|D2^C2D2|B4A2|[1G2B2d2|g4g^f:|][2G2D2B,A,|G,2G,4|]
V: 2
z2|:G2B2c2|d2c2B2|B4A2|G6|G2B2c2|d2c2B2|c4B2|A6|
c2A2B2|c2B2A2|B6-|B2A2G2|^F2G2A2|d4c2|[1B2A2^F2|G6:|][2B2D2^F2|G6|]
|: A6|A2d2c2|B6|B2c2B2|A4B2|c2B2A2|d4c2|B6|
B6|B2A3G|^F2G2^G2|A6|^F2G2A2|d4c2|B2D2^F2|[1G6:|][2G6|]
|: G4A2|B2D2^F2|G2d2c2|B4=B2|c4B2|A2c2e2|B4A2|G6|
^F2A2B2|c6|B4c2|d6|^F2G2A2|d4c2|[1B2D2^F2|G6:|][2B2A2^F2|G2G4|]

What a lovely tune. Thanks for listing it.

It’s a well known tune anyway…played worldwide by many genres. If not Anniversary then another name escapes me.

Of whatever nationality the composer be, this tune has many French ‘Musette’ hallmarks, like the cadence: D2^C2D2|B4A2|G and runs like: e2c2d2|e2d2c2 for example.
Musette meant ‘bagpipe/smallpipe’ in French originally but subsequently described a Parisian ball type born from the fusion of Auvergnat and Italian accordion styles: First perceived as a rogue scene, this particular intimate / flamboyant waltzing craze made it to the mainstream and spread to the corners of France. The spirit lives on, of course and this sound has become part of the ‘World Music’ genre. You can still hear it in Paris (funnily enough!), see for instance: http://www.festivaldespuces.com/

Máirtín O‘Connor has recorded a few waltzes and tunes in this genre. Sharon Shannon also recorded ’Le Retour des Hirondelles‘ (an old slang term for Policemen on bicycles but it could simply means the ’return of swallows’!). They’re the only Irish artists I’m aware of that have done so: Probably a fatal accordion attraction!

These tunes are often not very session friendly: too many accidentals as part of the main melody.

Unlikely; though Auvergne and Scandinavian tunes can be often uncannily similar (in their modes and metres) and Russian music made a big impact on some Italian and French music through both the communist parties‘ and the russian cicil war refugees’ influence.
‘Musette’ can also be heard a lot in Irish streets these days courtesy of Rumanian buskers.

This seems to me to be a Finnish tune called “Metsakukkia” or “Forest Flower”. Check it out at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-w6S7eh-NA&feature=related

play video

From this video I learned to play it on my 48-bass Hohner accordion. It’s a great little piece.

From another site, we have this background, though I cannot attest its truth value:

It is the most or second popular wedding waltz in Finland. It is traditional and probably have arrived in Finland from East (Russia). Earliest recording in Finland was made in 1937 and after that it has been in numerous recordings. In Finland it is played often instrumentally with accordion, but in recordings it is the song-version one usually hears (The most popular ones being versions by Olavi Virta and Georg Ots -if anybody is interested).

And remember that the the National Music of Finland is the Tango! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_tango

See Emile Vacher, Accordionist. Thanks!