Maurice Journeau (1898-1999) - a Music festival in Japan

At the opening of the William Gillock Association's Japanese Festival on March 1, 2026, the Association's president, Mrs. Hiroko Yasuda, introduced Maurice Journeau's piano "Waltz" op.2 with an insightful musicological presentation. The work was then played by the well-known Japanese concert piano soloist Yuko Mifune

A work quite typical of early 20th-century French music. And typical also of the young composer interested in the theme of Dance. Whether it be his piano "Menuet" op. 1 introducing him into the French musical tradition (he also wrote much later a little, gentle minuet for chidren...) or this piano "Waltz" op.2. And we should also mention another waltz: the dizzyingly whirling Waltz n°3 of the piano quintet entitled "Petite Suite pour cordes et piano" op. 13 (tr: "A small Suite for Strings and piano")! The composer, being himself an excellent young waltzer at evening friends' classical dancing parties in Biarritz, his native town in the Basque Country.