Ernest Smart wrote:

>Tchaikowsy used 5/4 at least twice elsewhere: once in a ballet score,

Do you know which?  I let a few of the ballets play past me the other
day and tried to stay on guard such, but might have missed it.

>and once on the piano 'Valse a cinq temps' in Op.78 (or is it Op72-- I
>forget).

It's in Op. 72 (18 Morceaux for piano), no. 16, thanks for the tip.
I looked for it and found it on a two-disk set of Tchaikovsky piano music
(Michael Ponti) that looked worthwhile.

>And no, I haven't heard the joke about 7/4.  What is it??

Okay, I'll try: How does, let us say, a "rhythmically challenged" person
count 7/4?

One, two, three, four
Five, six, seh-ven,
One, two, three, four
Five, six, seh-ven ...

Apologies...

Rick