Waltz No. 2 (from Suite for Variety Orchestra)

This sardonic waltz, taken from the Suite for Variety Orchestra, may be Shostakovich's most well-known piece. It has appeared in movie soundtracks, commercials, and even soccer fields! Slightly simplified and arranged for a young string orchestra, Hoffman's arrangement swings from B minor to D Major and back again. When performed in Europe, it's traditional for audiences to sway and sing along-- a tradition that begs to be transported “across the pond!”