Marie-Auguste Durand (1830--1909), a multifaceted Frenchman, was a
composer, editor, music critic, businessman, and advocate for
contemporary music. As a composer, he wrote much sacred and secular
vocal music as well as piano music. The six waltzes in this edition were
influenced by the waltzes of Frédéric Chopin (1810--1849). They share a
similar formal plan of presenting short sections, some different and
some repeated, forming a successful balance of variety and unity. Editor
Edward Francis has suggested fingerings, pedaling, and metronome
markings to aid students and performers. In addition, the prefatory
matter discusses performance considerations and includes a formal
analysis of each waltz.