200 Years After His Death, a Long-Lost Chopin Waltz Has Finally Been Discovered
It’s the first piece by Chopin to be discovered in 100 years—and it’s making history
Polish composer Frédéric Chopin left an indelible mark on the world of classical music, and nearly 200 years after his death, he’s continuing to do so. Discovered by Dr. Robinson McClellan, a curator at the Morgan Library & Museum, a waltz by the famed musician is the first piece of work by Chopin to be discovered in 100 years. Though this work is shorter than his other waltzes, a statement by the institution explained that it is “nevertheless a complete piece, showing the kind of ‘tightness’ that we expect from a finished work by the composer.”
The fascinating story behind the discovery of Chopin’s waltz
The discovery was made by Dr. McClellan while cataloging the Arthur Satz Collection, acquired by the Morgan Library in 2019—and the piece of paper on which it was discovered was only a bit larger than the typical index card. With that in mind, in comparison to other works discovered by the composer, it is assumed that it was meant as a “gift for inclusion in someone’s autograph album.” It continued, “Chopin usually signed manuscripts that were gifts, but this one is unsigned, suggesting that he changed his mind and withheld it.”
It was while working through the Arthur Satz Collection, which the museum and library acquired back in 2019, that McClellan found this artifact, and upon discovering it, he called upon Professor Jeffrey Kallberg from the University of Pennsylvania, an expert on Chopin, as well as paper conservator’s from the institution, to confirm its legitimacy.
“This newly discovered waltz expands our understanding of Chopin as a composer and opens new questions for scholars to consider regarding when he wrote it and for whom it was intended,” McClellan said. “To hear this work for the first time will be an exciting moment for everyone in the world of classical piano.”
How scholars verified the authenticity of the Chopin waltz
While there are countless factors that are distinctly Chopin in the music itself, verifying these artifacts requires analysis of every possible detail. “The penmanship matches other examples of Chopin’s handwriting,” said a spokeswoman from the Morgan Library and Museum as reported by CNN. “The score contains fingerings and dynamic markings, suggesting that Chopin thought the piece might be performed someday.”
Sir Stephen Hough, a classical pianist, revealed his thoughts on the discovery to BBC, explaining that he had some initial doubts that the piece was authentically Chopin, but continued by saying that it was “a little bit like coming across a sketch for a Keats poem that he hasn’t quite finished working out exactly the word order for, and there are a few spelling mistakes, but somehow you can still tell that it has that genius there.”
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