Frédéric François Chopin ( 1810 - 1849) was a Polish
composer and virtuoso pianist of French-Polish
parentage. He is considered one of the great masters of
Romantic music. Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola,
a village in the Duchy of Warsaw. A renowned
child-prodigy pianist and composer, Chopin grew up in
Warsaw and completed his music education there; he
composed many mature works in Warsaw before leaving
Poland in 1830 at age 20, shortly before the November
1830 Uprising.
Chopi...(+)
Frédéric François Chopin ( 1810 - 1849) was a Polish
composer and virtuoso pianist of French-Polish
parentage. He is considered one of the great masters of
Romantic music. Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola,
a village in the Duchy of Warsaw. A renowned
child-prodigy pianist and composer, Chopin grew up in
Warsaw and completed his music education there; he
composed many mature works in Warsaw before leaving
Poland in 1830 at age 20, shortly before the November
1830 Uprising.
Chopin's "Deux Valses", Op. 69, were not published
during his lifetime, and in fact are products of his
earlier days. A rather clear distinction can be made
between those of the composer's waltzes that could
potentially be used for actual dancing purposes and
those which serve more purely musical functions. In the
Opus 69 publication, only the latter category is
represented.
This second waltz was composed in 1829, and is one of
several works that the composer hoped would be burnt
upon his death (his wishes, as composers' wishes about
such matters so often are, were ignored). It is a
melancholy work with three primary melodies and a
somewhat more optimistic middle section. Although
popular, this is not one of Chopin's most important
compositions. The main theme is in the key of B minor
and is marked with an overall tempo of Moderato. It is
one of several works that the composer hoped would be
burnt upon his death. The piece is largely melancholic
and changes to B major and again reverts back to the
original theme. It is not technically demanding and is
one of Chopin's better known pieces.
Although originally composed for Piano, this piece has
been adapted to Concert (Pedal) Harp.