Lost Chopin Waltz Discovered in New York Museum After 200 Years
A 200-year-old waltz believed to be composed by the Polish composer Frederic Chopin was unearthed in the vault of the Morgan Library and Museum in New York. The rare composition is dated to be from a time period between 1830 and 1835.
The lost piece of music was discovered by curator Robinson McClellan, while he was working on cataloguing new collections of music. The process of authentication of the piece was straightforward as he collaborated with a Chopin expert to authenticate the Waltz’s score.
Crucially, the composition is not signed by Chopin, but the handwriting found in the composition includes Chopin’s distinctive bass clef.
Experts are confident that the waltz unearthed in New York is a Chopin composition
The previously unknown waltz found in New York has minor errors in rhythm and notation, but McClellan remains confident that the piece was written by Chopin. He told the BBC “What we’re most certain about is it is written in the hand of Chopin, paper that he wrote on himself in his own hand.”
But the discovery is not a complete certainty, as Mr. McClellan went on record saying he is not entirely sure that he composed music. Still, he said he’s about “98% certain” and said people who have already heard the composition know that it sounds like Chopin.
There are also some unusual characteristics of Chopin in the composition. For instance, Mr. McClellan explained, “There are atypical aspects of the music, the kind of stormy opening is a little surprising but not entirely out of character.” He also said, however, that the melody in the piece is a dead giveaway that this was in fact, a Chopin composition.
Legendary pianist Lang Lang recorded the newly uncovered Chopin waltz for the New York Times.
That's the sound of a Chopin waltz that was unearthed after nearly 200 years. Here's the story of how an unknown work in the composer’s hand was discovered in a New York museum, the first such find in more than half a century. pic.twitter.com/yeGxE10EoX
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 27, 2024
Who Was Frederic Chopin?
Frederic Chopin was a Polish Composer and virtuoso pianist who was born in Zelazowa Wola, Poland. From a very young age, he showed his talent as a musician, which led him to move to Paris in 1831 where he could show off his talent in what at the time, was one of the musical centers of the world.
In the French capital, Chopin found fame as a composer, performer, and teacher, effectively becoming a staple in the music scene of Paris.
Chopin is most celebrated for his solo piano works, which are considered to be some of the most beautiful pieces ever composed. Some of these pieces include Nocturnes, Ballades, Etudes, Mazurkas, Polonaises and Preludes.
His music is also known worldwide for how emotionally deep it is, and the harmonic sophistication his pieces usually had.
However, despite the success he found in Paris, Frederic Chopin suffered from very fragile health. The Polish virtuoso suffered from tuberculosis, which led to his death at the young age of 39.
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