Waltz Kings: Felix Godin - Lovely Lucerne (A Valse Song) (1912) (Piano)

Johann Strauss Jr was not the only Waltz King. There were many others, who composed mainly waltzes and other dance music, or were famous because of their waltz compositions. This series features the other waltz kings.

Felix Godin, a pseudonym of Henry Albert Brown (c1864-1925), was an English composer of light music. He is largely forgotten, now remembered only for his "Valse Septembre", a piece of music supposedly played on the doomed Titanic, and made famous in the 1997 "Titanic" movie.

Godin never equalled the success of that waltz, though he tried often enough - most notably in similarly French titled waltzes such as Juin Charmant (1910), Valse Décembre, Valse d’Avril, Valse Ravissante and Valse Mai (1912), as well as such later examples as A True Lover’s Knot (1920) and Anticipation (1922).

Although an English composer, he assumed a French pseudonym, and his compositions had mostly French titles, because it was apparently fashionable to be French at that time. He composed a series of waltzes based on each month of the year.

Lovely Lucerne, a waltz song written in 1912, is an ode written to the Lake Lucerne. The sheetmusic cover shows a picture of Lake Lucerne.

When falls the calm of eventide,
There comes a vision glowing,
Once more I see the mountainside,
The glacier waters flowing.
Though olden days can ne'er return,
Their mem'ry leaves me ne'er,
And golden dreams of Fair Lucerne,
Remains with me forever.

Lovely Lucerne shines again in the moonlight,
Old joys recalling ne'er can return,
Dreams of an old love,
And one tender June night,
Come with the mem'ry of Lovely Lucerne.