Rare Chopin Waltz Discovered After Two Centuries of Silence
A previously unknown Chopin waltz has been discovered at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan, dating back nearly 200 years. The piece was found among a collection of cultural memorabilia, including postcards signed by Picasso and letters from notable composers.
Pianist performing classical music
The waltz, written between 1830 and 1835, was authenticated through extensive testing of the manuscript's ink, paper, handwriting, and musical style. Notable features include:
- Written in A minor
- Features an unusual triple forte at the beginning
- Shorter than typical Chopin waltzes
- Contains unique musical properties not found in his other works
Curator Robinson McClellan confirms the piece's authenticity, citing matching penmanship, particularly in the bass clef symbol, and materials consistent with Chopin's known works from that period.
Renowned pianist Lang Lang, who performed the piece for The New York Times, describes it as authentically Chopin, noting that while not his most complex composition, it effectively evokes Polish countryside winters through its harsh opening.
The waltz's journey to discovery traces back to A. Sherrill Whiton Jr., a classical music enthusiast who directed the New York School of Interior Design. Following his death in 1972, the collection was donated to the Morgan in 2019, where it remained uncatalogued until its recent discovery.