The First Significant Discovery of a Chopin work since the 1930s

Curator Dr. Robinson McClellan uncovered a previously unknown waltz written in the hand of composer Frédéric Chopin in The Morgan Library & Museum’s collection. The discovery of an unknown work by Chopin has not happened since the late 1930s. The Morgan’s manuscript consists of twenty-four notated measures that the composer asks the pianist to repeat once in their entirety. Chopin famously wrote in “small forms,” but this work, lasting about one minute, is shorter than any other waltz by him. It is nevertheless a complete piece, showing the kind of “tightness” that we expect from a finished work by the composer. The beginning of the piece is most remarkable: several moody, dissonant measures culminate in a loud outburst, before a melancholy melody begins. None of his known waltzes start this way, making this one even more intriguing. The manuscript is only slightly larger than an index card (102 x 130 mm, about 4 x 5 inches); based on other similarly-sized manuscripts by Chopin, it is assumed that it was meant as a gift for inclusion in someone’s autograph album. Chopin usually signed manuscripts that were gifts, but this one is unsigned, suggesting that he changed his mind and withheld it.