#New Waltz by Chopin Found in Morgan Library

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Lost Chopin Music Uncovered in ‘Thrilling’ Discovery

A curator at a museum in New York City has discovered a previously unknown waltz written by Frédéric Chopin, the first time that a new piece of work by the Polish composer has been found in nearly 100 years.

The waltz, written on a small manuscript measuring about 4 inches by 5 inches, was first discovered by curator Robinson McClellan in 2019, who then sought outside expert help, according to a statement from the Morgan Library & Museum on Monday.

“He found it peculiar that he could not think of any waltzes by Chopin that matched the measures on the page,” reads the statement.

“Chopin famously wrote in ‘small forms,’ but this work, lasting about one minute, is shorter than any other waltz by him,” adds the statement.

“It is nevertheless a complete piece, showing the kind of ‘tightness’ that we expect from a finished work by the composer.”

McClellan asked Chopin expert Jeffrey Kallberg, associate dean for arts and letters at the University of Pennsylvania, to help authenticate the waltz. “Extensive research points to the strong likelihood that the piece is by Chopin,” according to the statement.

This research included analysis by paper conservators who found that the paper and ink match those that Chopin normally used.

The Morgan Library & Museum believes that the fact that the manuscript is so small could mean that it was meant to be a gift that the recipient would have kept in an autograph album.

Chopin was known to sign manuscripts that were gifts, but this one is unsigned, which the museum says suggests that he ultimately decided against giving it away.

“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,” said McClellan in the statement.

“To hear this work for the first time will be an exciting moment for everyone in the world of classical piano.”

“Our extensive music collection is defined by handwritten examples of the creative process and it is thrilling to have uncovered a new and unknown work by such a renowned composer,” said Colin B. Bailey, museum director, in the statement.

The discovery of an unknown piece of work by Chopin has not happened since the late 1930s, according to the museum.

The Polish composer was born in 1810 and was best known for solo piano pieces.

Chopin died in Paris, France, at the age of just 39. He’s one of Poland’s most famous sons, and his name adorns the airport serving the capital Warsaw, as well as parks, streets, benches and buildings.

His works and image are ubiquitous across the central European country, and his residences bear unmissable plaques. Busts and statues of his likeness are dotted across several major cities.

Even his heart, preserved in alcohol after his death in 1849 is sealed into a wall of Warsaw’s Holy Cross Church.

But recent suggestions about Chopin’s private life collided awkwardly with Poland’s staunchly conservative traditions – and caused some to question whether the story of Chopin that Poles are told from a young age is true.

According to a Swiss radio documentary released in 2020, the composer had relationships with men, and those relationships were left out of history by successive historians and biographers; a potentially thorny charge in one of Europe’s worst countries for LGBTQ rights.

By Jack Guy.

Chopin - Waltz in A Minor (Discovered in 2024) - Played by Lang Lang

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Lost Waltz by Chopin Discovered After Nearly 200 Years

A newly uncovered waltz, believed to be composed by the renowned Polish musician Frederic Chopin, has been found nearly 200 years after its creation. The manuscript, dated between 1830 and 1835, was discovered in the vault of the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City.

Curator Robinson McClellan stumbled upon the rare piece while cataloging new collections. He later collaborated with a prominent Chopin expert to verify its authenticity. Although the manuscript is not signed, it features Chopin’s distinctive bass clef handwriting.

While the waltz contains some minor rhythmic and notational errors, McClellan expresses confidence that it originates from Chopin. "What we're most certain about is that it is written in Chopin's hand, on paper he used himself," he stated in an interview with BBC's Newshour. He added, "I'm about 98% sure, and many who have heard it instinctively feel it sounds like Chopin."

The piece features a somewhat surprising stormy opening, but McClellan believes the melody strongly reflects Chopin's style. Acclaimed pianist Lang Lang has recorded the waltz for the New York Times, which first reported the discovery.

Chopin, who primarily composed for piano, passed away at the age of 39 in France in 1849. His life was marked by struggles with hallucinations and likely epilepsy, as suggested by Spanish researchers.

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Unknown waltz by Chopin found in library vault after nearly 200 years https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/oct/29/unknown-waltz-by-frederic-chopin-found-morgan-library-vault-new-york