A previously unknown waltz by Frédéric Chopin was discovered in a postcard-sized manuscript in the collection of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York in late spring 2024.
Composer Biography
As a teenager, Frédéric Chopin initially considered waltzes to be trivial, expressing astonishment to his teacher Elsner that they were "regarded as works" in Vienna.
Compositional Technique
Frédéric Chopin's waltzes often feature intellectual play, such as using simple accompaniments wittily, employing harmonic and melodic instability, and creating duple-sounding themes within the triple meter of a waltz.
Performer Biography
Sir Stephen Hough, the pianist on this album, is recognized as one of twenty living polymaths by The Economist and was knighted for Services to Music in 2022.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Frédéric Chopin frequently gave waltz manuscripts as gifts, often creating multiple versions of the same piece for different acquaintances, which led to an unusually high number of variant versions.
Composition History
Frédéric Chopin withheld more than half of the waltzes he composed from publication, a practice he did not apply to any other genre.
