Waltzes

[Pianoman1992]

The waltzes are by far my favorite of Chopin's pieces. Most of them are so lively and sound like Chopin was having a good time while writing them. I don't know which is my favorite though! I'm able to play all of them except the Grande Valse Brillante in A-flat Major. That is so hard!!!

If you look on pianosociety.com you will find a section about the waltzes, but will also find a 20th waltz of his in F-sharp Minor, subtitled "Valse Melancolique." I've played the piece before (they have the sheet music on the site), and it doesn't completely sound like Chopin. What are all of your thoughts on this waltz? Also if you go to http://www.chopinmusic.net/library.php?w=Waltzes you can see 6 other waltzes that are apparently written by Chopin. But why would Ludwika copy only the first several bars of them? That part makes it hard for me to believe they are real.

I've also heard that there are a few people around the world who claim to have actual manuscripts of lost Chopin waltzes, but won't give them up. Why would they torture us like that? Just sell it, get your money, and let Chopin-lovers get a taste of some of his works they'd never heard! I hope that one day they will give the manuscripts up.

[chopin]

GARRICK OHLSSON recorded this waltz in his Chopin piano work set.

[Pianoman1992]

The F-sharp Minor one?

[chopin]

Yes, the 20th waltz. Here's the link to his CD sold at amazon.com. It's out of stock, so quite expensive to obtain from individual sellers.

http://www.amazon.com/Garrick-Ohlsson-Complete-Chopin-Waltzes/dp/B000000T93/ref=pd_sim_m_1/103-9225209-3632624

[Pianoman1992]

It seems like he's the only professional recording artist who actually thinks that the piece is by Chopin. Have you found any other info regarding the other waltzes I mentioned?

[Pianoman1992]

Wait a second, I was just looking at this website's work list and I found this: Waltz for pianoforte in B Major (Br. 166) composed 1848/10/12. The strange thing about it is that I found it listed around proven Chopin works like the Bourees, and it was also directly above the Op. 1 Rondo. Does that mean that this waltz has been found? It didn't even say "Work is lost!" underneath. Where did the people on this website find any evidence of that waltz? I would like to hear it!

[chopin]

The waltz Br. 166 in B major is privately owned. It bears the name Katherine Erskine. I don't know whether that name is the onwer or the dedicatee.

[chopin]

It seems like he's the only professional recording artist who actually thinks that the piece is by Chopin. Have you found any other info regarding the other waltzes I mentioned?

Sorry. Nobody actually has ever recorded those waltzes. I couldn't find any further information.

[Pianoman1992]

Ugh! People like that make me sooooo mad :x ! Why won't this person just let it be published? They're probably going to die all of a sudden and the manuscript will be destroyed or something like that. I would like to be the private owner of a Chopin manuscript no one's seen just as much as the next guy, but it's kind of selfish not to release it to the public considering the manuscript has been floating around for around 150 years. What does this person think will happen if people like us happily get to play the music of a previously unknown waltz? Also Katherine Erskine is the person who the piece is dedicated to (she was Jane Stirling's sister).

P.S. Are we like the only two people on the site? Nobody except enchantedpianist seems to be posting.

[wanderer]

I'm posting too     It seems that nobody is going to discuss anything if there is no question  

[Pianoman1992]

I had some questions in my previous post. They weren't rhetorical. Sorry I forgot you! :oops:

[Pianoman1992]

Oh and also even though I said that I hadn't tried to play Grande Valse Brillante in A-flat Major in the first post, saying that actually motivated me to work on it. I've never worked on a piece so slowly in my life!

[chopin]

Oh and also even though I said that I hadn't tried to play Grande Valse Brillante in A-flat Major in the first post, saying that actually motivated me to work on it. I've never worked on a piece so slowly in my life!

Among the "Grande valses brillantes", I played only Op.18. I love Op.42 but still haven't attempted to read the notes.

[Pianoman1992]

I love the Op. 18 as well! It's so happy and upbeat, and it really does sound like a waltz. That is probably one of the most fun waltzes I can play. I actually played it for my school talent show last year, but the only thing everyone told me was that it was too long! Show some class people!!!

Anyway, I think that I found the name of someone who privately owns a waltz. It is in the possession of Arthur Hedley in London and this waltz should, according to the information available, be a Bb Major waltz composed in 1849. The waltz was discovered in 1952, but due to Chopin’s family wishes, he has not published this work. So I guess it isn't the owner being selfish. But why wouldn't Chopin's descendants want it to be published? I would think they would want to share their beloved ancestor's music with the world! Who would it hurt to publish it?

I also saw another unfinished waltz was in the possession of H. Hinterberger (all I can find on the name) in Vienna. It was discovered in 1937 but with the death of H. Hinterberger, no traces of this A Minor waltz (composed in 1829) have been traced to this date. It is assumed lost and probably destroyed by Hinterberger. But why would he destroy it?

[enchantedpianist]

They followed Chopin's wish that any of his unpublished work should be destroyed to keep the high quality. Just kidding! But in the case of Hinterberger, I think we cannot infer anything since we know nothing about him. I like the two A minor waltzes op.34-2 and posth. That third one might also be interesting.