Chopin waltz written 200 years ago found in New York

Chopin waltz written 200 years ago found in New York

An unpublished waltz by Frédéric Chopin, composed 200 years ago, has been discovered in the archives of the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan, New York.

Robinson McClellan, composer and curator of the museum, came across the work while sorting cultural items and memorabilia in the museum’s cellar.

As reported by the New York Times, the score was signed by Chopin, but the conservator was not sure if it was genuine. “I thought: what’s going on here? What could this be? “I didn’t recognize the music,” McClellan said.

After analyzing the paper, ink, writing and style, they confirmed with an expert from the University of Pennsylvania that it was an unknown waltz by the author written more than 200 years ago – between 1830 and 1835 – when he was in his youth. “We are completely confident in our decision,” McClellan said.

The tune features a raw opening, described by pianist Lang Lang as “a dramatic darkness that turns into something positive.”

Who was Frederic Chopin?

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish composer famous for his solo piano music. Chopin’s work helped make the piano the most popular musical instrument of the 19th century.

Chopin’s style, with its heavy emphasis on single notes and rapid changes in tempo, marked a break with the traditional way of playing the piano. What would make him one of the great writers of Romanticism.

Chopin’s compositions, especially his contemporary and very modern style, both in terms of keys and pedals, play with the emotions of the listener and influence many later composers , from Franz Liszt (1811-1886) to Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943).

The famous pianist Artur Rubinstein (1887-1982) described Chopin as “the first composer to make the piano sing”, and this is perhaps his greatest contribution to the history of music; that is, leaving old conventions behind and unlocking the full potential of the piano as a truly versatile instrument.