The discovery of a previously unknown waltz by Polish composer Frédéric Chopin has created shockwaves around the world. This is the first new piece of music to be found by the composer in nearly 100 years and was likely written almost 200 years ago.
The waltz was unearthed in the vault of the Morgan Library and Museum in New York. Dr. Robinson McClellan, a curator, discovered the manuscript—which was only slightly larger than an index card—in 2019 when he began cataloging the Arthur Satz Collection. Dr. McClellan sought out the expertise of Professor Jeffrey Kallberg of the University of Pennsylvania to verify the authenticity of the work. Their research, alongside the help of other outside experts, strongly indicates that this waltz was composed by Chopin.
Listen to the performance by Lang Lang:
The waltz itself is the shortest Chopin has ever written, lasting about one minute. According to the press release from the museum, none of his known waltzes start in the same way as this newly discovered one with its “several moody, dissonant measures culminat[ing]in a loud outburst, before a melancholy melody begins.”
Multiple sources have cited this as a significant and exciting moment in the classical piano world.
