An unknown waltz by Chopin was accidentally found in New York — it is almost 200 years old

The curator of the Morgan Library and Museum in New York found an unknown waltz by the Polish composer Frederic Chopin in the collection of cultural relics.

The New York Times writes about it.

Robinson McClellan found the manuscript deep in storage this spring, among postcards and letters from famous artists and composers. Item #147 turned out to be a sheet music—dim and small, with the title "Waltz" and the small signature "Chopin" across the top.

McClellan is a composer himself, but he did not recognize this work by Chopin. He photographed the manuscript and played the waltz at home on a digital piano. The found waltz was "explosive" — it began with quiet, dissonant notes that spilled into sharp chords. So McClellan sent a photo of the score to Jeffrey Kallberg, a leading Chopin scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, who said he had never seen the piece.

After checking the manuscriptʼs paper and ink, analyzing the handwriting and musical style, as well as consulting outside experts, the experts agreed that this piece is most likely an unknown waltz by Frederic Chopin. He probably wrote it in 1830-1835, at the age of 20-25.

The waltz differs from Chopinʼs other works, but it has characteristic features of the composer, so experts have no doubts about the authenticity of the work. It consists of 48 bars with repetition and lasts 80 seconds. Despite its brevity, the work is complete.

"Itʼs not Chopinʼs most complex piece, but itʼs one of the most authentic Chopin works imaginable," noted pianist Lan Lan, who performed the waltz for The New York Times at Manhattanʼs Steinway Hall.

Cambridge University music professor John Rink says the manuscript may reflect Chopinʼs imagination, a creative flash before he had time to develop an idea. During his lifetime, the composer painted over mistakes with scribbles and ink blots and told friends that he wanted his works destroyed after his death. However, pianist Stephen Gough points out that Chopin might now be delighted to think that his music is still adored.

• Frédéric Chopin was born in the Polish village of Zhelyazova-Wola in 1810. From the age of 12 he played the piano, and at the age of 20 he moved to France and at the age of 22 he gave his first concert in Paris. During his life, he wrote about 250 works, among which, according to experts, 28 waltzes. He died at the age of 39 in Paris, probably from tuberculosis.

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