Waltz Op. 39 No. 15
by Johannes Brahms

“ Waltz Op. 39 No. 15 ” is the fifteenth waltze from the collection Sixteen Waltzes (German; Sechzehn Walzer), Op. 39, a set of 16 short waltzes for piano written by Johannes Brahms. They were composed in 1865, and published in 1866, dedicated to the music critic Eduard Hanslick. These waltzes were written for piano four hands, and were also arranged for piano solo by the composer, in two different versions – difficult and simplified. The three versions were published at the same time, and sold well, contrary to the composer’s expectations.
The waltzes were written while the composer lived in Vienna, a city where he would permanently settle in 1872.They were intended as a tribute to the waltz dance form which had become especially fashionable in his adopted city.