Frédéric Chopin
Waltzes
About Frédéric Chopin's Waltzes
The Waltzes of Chopin have little in common with those by Schubert or those by the Strauss circle – he even wrote home from Vienna pouring scorn on the waltz, horrified by the fact that “they actually call waltzes works”. But perhaps with the intention of raising it to a higher level, he went on to make continuous efforts in the genre himself, producing music that has never lost its attraction for pianists or the public.
Chopin started writing waltzes in 1824, when he was fourteen, and continued until the year of his death, 1849. Only eight of the waltzes were published during Chopin's lifetime - a further five were published and given opus numbers by Julian Fontana a few years after the composer's death. Since then, a large number of waltz manuscripts and sketches have been unearthed. Of these, seven have been published, two of them as late as 1955.
Chopin’s Waltzes fall into two distinct categories: on the one side sparkling, highly ornamented works, at least theoretically suitable for actual ballroom use; and on the other more introspective, melancholy, nostalgic or even gloomy ones.
| Preview | Title | Key | Year | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Waltz 1 Op. 18 | E-flat Major | 1832 | 8 |
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Waltz 2 Op. 34 No. 1 | A-flat Major | 1835 | 8 |
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Waltz 3 Op. 34 No. 2 | A Minor | 1834 | 6 |
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Waltz 4 Op. 34 No. 3 | F Major | 1838 | 7 |
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Waltz 5 Op. 42 | A-flat Major | 1840 | 7 |
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Waltz 6 Op. 64 No. 1 | D-flat Major | 1847 | 7 |
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Waltz 7 Op. 64 No. 2 | C-sharp Minor | 1847 | 7 |
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Waltz 8 Op. 64 No. 3 | A-flat Major | 1847 | 6 |
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Waltz 9 Op. 69 No. 1 | A-flat Major | 1835 | 6 |
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Waltz 10 Op. 69 No. 2 | B Minor | 1829 | 6 |
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Waltz 11 Op. 70 No. 1 | G-flat Major | 1832 | 8 |
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Waltz 12 Op. 70 No. 2 | F Minor | 1842 | 7 |
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Waltz 13 Op. 70 No. 3 | D-flat Major | 1829 | 8 |
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Waltz 14 B. 56 | E Minor | 1829 | 7 |
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Waltz 15 B. 44 | E Major | 1829 | 7 |
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Waltz 16 B. 21 | A-flat Major | 1827 | 7 |
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Waltz 17 B. 46 | E-flat Major | 1830 | 7 |
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Waltz 18 B. 133 | E-flat Major | 1840 | 5 |
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Waltz 19 (Sostenuto) B. 150 | A Minor | 1849 | 5 |
Forum posts about the Waltzes by Frédéric Chopin
should i start learning more difficult pieces? by luk0ss
Hello! i play piano for about a year now. i play pieces like waltz in c minor op 64 no 2, mazurka op 33. no.4, mazurka op. 17 no. 4, some p...
Advanced pianists: Why do you play the piano? by ranjit
When you start out playing the piano, there is quite a bit of social incentive to do so. Once you reach a stage where you can walk up to a p...
Pedaling in Chopin Waltzes by billybraga
Hi, im currently learning Chopin's Grande Valse Brillante, and im kinda confused on how can i handle the pedal on it. Actually, w...
A personal path through Chopin easy to intermediate op by joe falchetto
In learning Chopin, which of the following paths should I pick for this year? A bit of background on me at the end of the post. 1. Focus on...
My teacher is not happy with the sound of quality, how should I improve? by claireliii
My teacher always is very strict with the quality of sound. I am playing Chopin's valse, and she says when I am playing forte, my sound...
Intro and how to choose an etudes appropriate for your level by joe falchetto
TL;DR as a guideline in selecting studies of the right level, how long should it take you to learn a run of the mill (Czerny, Bertini, Crame...
what piece to play? by pianoclassico
so i have been wondering for a while what piece to play , i would prefer it to be a chopin (or a romantic era composer) one though i want it...
Problems with short and medium jumps by pernozzoli
Hi, I'm quite new to this forum so let me shortly introduce myself. I am 47 yrs old and an amateur player since the age of 9. I had se...
"Real memory" by mjames
About a week ago a friend of mine who recently got into piano music was listening to a piece I learned about three years ago. "Hey I ca...
Related Reading: Chopin Waltzes by jmallet
Hi all, I'm doing a recital of four Chopin Waltzes for my A-level. I've got plenty of performers to listen to (Cortot, Lipatti, Ru...
performance of the following masterclass and tips-need some assistance by classicalinquisition
currently looking for the following: [literature ok too] CHOPIN [ALL] Waltz in D-flat Major Op. 64 # 1 Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 45 Pre...
Chopin waltzes in octaves: is it a good idea? by spenstar
Most of the Chopin waltzes have single notes at a time one the right hand. Do you think it would be a good exercise to change it to octaves?...
Wrists Too Stiff by rmchenry
Hi all, I have been playing since age about 12, only ever had one year of "proper" teaching, just play for my own sanity. N...
Speculate a ratio between talent, teaching, and time? by fleetfingers
I watched a 12-year-old boy who has been taking lessons for a year play a Chopin Valse. I couldn't believe my eyes or ears, but I was 2...
ALL ABOUT CHOPIN WALTZES by sjeon
CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME A LIST OF CHOPIN WALTZES EASIEST TO HARDEST? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE/LEAST FAVORITE WALTZ? CAN SOMEONE TELL ME THE CHARACT...