Oskar Merikanto - Valse Lente, Op. 33

Oskar Merikanto’s Valse Lente is one of his more popular works in the salon style. It was first published in 1898. Merikanto was born with the surname Kanto, but later changed it to the Swedish-sounding Mattsson and then to the Finnish Merikanto. Merikanto studied in Leipzig under many teachers, including Carl Reinecke. Much of the composer’s style has origins in Finnish folk music, and his melodies, quite fittingly, show influence from Italian-style bel canto singing. Oskar had a son named Aarre, who