Album insights
As young Chopin grew up in Warsaw at the beginning of the 19th century, he was surrounded by the sounds and rhythms of urban dance. In the salons and dance halls, the popular dances of the time, especially Mazurkas, Polonaises, and the most beloved dance of all—waltzes, played on the piano resounded. While Mazurkas and Polonaises brought a touch of local color to the venues, the composers enriched their simple works with the rhythms and dialects of the local peasant and aristocratic populations. However, unlike Bartók after him, Chopin was more familiar with the urban permutations of Mazurkas than with folk versions. Yet, with their affection for the waltz, the people of Warsaw enthusiastically embraced international trends. For the youth during Chopin's time, waltzing meant pleasure, particularly due to the close physical and eye contact allowed between the twirling, dancing couple.
Initially, the young Chopin didn't seem to take the waltz very seriously. This assumption can be made from his surprise towards his teacher, Joseph Elsner, after a trip to Vienna in 1831, where Chopin had spent several months and noticed that "waltzes are considered works there!" Chopin made a distinction between functional music—music for the moment, such as dance accompaniment—and composed works, music of compositional substance that should be reflected on more thoroughly. Assigning such importance to a waltz, treating it as an opus, and suggesting prolonged contemplation at the piano was a novel concept for Chopin at that time. While acknowledging the great artistry of Chopin's waltzes, the conflict evident in his remark to Elsner, concerning the conflict between a lasting opus and temporary entertainment, shaped his relationship with the waltz unlike any other genre.
This conflict was most evident in how Chopin handled the dissemination of his waltzes during his lifetime. He withheld more than half of his waltzes from publication, denying public access to a significant number of completed works in any other genre. However, this did not mean that he hoarded the unpublished waltzes. Waltz manuscripts were popular gifts from Chopin, presented as souvenirs to close confidants (such as Maria Wodzińska, to whom he was briefly engaged) and high-born acquaintances (like Charlotte de Rothschild from the renowned banking family). Gifted waltz manuscripts did not transfer the ownership rights; Chopin had no qualms about transcribing the same piece multiple times and offering them to different lucky acquaintances. The Waltz in F minor, now known as op. 70 No. 2 (per the posthumous publication numbering), seemed to be Chopin's favorite gift, with five autographs preserved. Manuscripts of other waltzes, such as three manuscripts of the Waltz in A-flat major op. 69 No. 1, were also widespread. This practice even continued after Chopin had already published a waltz: he gifted manuscripts of the Waltz in D-flat major op. 64 No. 1 to three colleagues, despite knowing that the piece was widely available in print.
Chopin's generosity had the significant musical consequence that his waltzes existed in unusually diverse variations. This was a result of his creative character; when transcribing a piece to create a manuscript, he almost never reproduced it identically but made various alterations. These changes involved details, significant modifications in articulation or dynamics, adding or omitting entire phrases or sections. Allowing acquaintances to see and play these versions indicated Chopin's authorial approval of different interpretations of a piece. Pianists thus have a plethora of choices when selecting a Chopin waltz.
Just as the diverse versions reflect the social backgrounds of Chopin's waltzes, several compositional characteristics also showcase this. The idea of popularity seems embedded in various aspects of the waltzes, notably in the ones Chopin released during his lifetime. These waltzes highlighted contrasts between overflowing emotions and sentimentality, contributing significantly to the modernity of the waltz as a social dance. This contrast is evident in the first of the published waltzes, the one in E-flat major, op. 18. The main themes vividly depict the hustle and bustle of the dance floor: the captivating invitation to dance in the introduction and the rising and falling movements of the initial melodies, symbolizing the spinning dance pairs. Conversely, the contrasting themes (with melodies in thirds and in the new key of D-flat major) evoke a more pensive mood. Chopin instructs the pianist that one of the themes should be played con anima, emphasizing the soulful nature of the melody. The later published waltzes in A-flat major and F major (op. 34, Nos. 1 and 3) echo the E-flat major waltz, combining moments of sentimental calm with a lively social atmosphere in a similar manner. Sometimes, especially in the published waltzes set in minor keys (A minor op. 34 No. 2 and C-sharp minor op. 64 No. 2), Chopin reverses the poles, emphasizing melancholic emotions. However, in all these cases, Chopin succeeds in refining the concept of contrast: sentiment deepens vivacity, while buoyancy alleviates the emotional depth. In essence, Chopin's waltzes emerge as musical works from his contrasts.
If one perceives Chopin's waltzes as a manifestation of the habits of a specific social milieu, it is no surprise that additional concepts in this genre become apparent. Particularly captivating is the notion of play—not just in the lively sense of amusement that characterizes waltzes but also in terms of play as an intellectual engagement, reminiscent of the vibrant discourse that Chopin enjoyed in his social circles. Published waltzes abound in such intelligent dialogues; even the simple accompaniments can seem witty, as the rhythmical motion seemingly necessary for the genre disappoints in its apparent banality. More complex is the role of harmonic and melodic instability, such as the brief flutters created by chromatic modifications in the waltz themes, the pervasive buzzing of the chromatic background in the A-flat major waltz op. 42, or the obsessive circling through numerous keys in the A-flat major waltz op. 64 No. 3. An exemplary instance of intellectual play lies in the realm of meter. It's noteworthy that Chopin, in a genre embodying triple meter, writes numerous themes that momentarily sound like duple meter. Sections in the E-flat major waltz (op. 18), F major waltz (op. 34 No. 3), and D-flat major waltz (op. 64 No. 1) tease a duple meter out of a triple meter, playing a duple meter melody over a tireless triple meter accompaniment throughout the main part of the A-flat major waltz op. 42. Understanding the humor of these passages necessitates an appreciation of Chopin's straightforward accompaniments. Chopin's waltzes transform socially engaged humor into a musical concept.
At times, Chopin extends this kind of intellectual play throughout an entire work. The best example might be the "Minute Waltz" op. 64 No. 1. While the nickname wasn't provided by Chopin—since he detested descriptive titles—it nonetheless points to something significant: the waltz unfolds as if it lasts merely a minute. And although the actual timing is inconsequential, the listener experiences the birth and demise of a musical world seemingly in an instant. In this metaphorical minute, time is bent: measures and beats stretch (Chopin's famous rubato), the outer sections rush in, and the middle section sings. Chopin condenses the entire concept of a dance into brief moments.
The unpublished waltzes of Chopin are generally less intricate than the published ones. Their structures tend to be simpler, with fewer themes and straightforward da-capo layouts. Despite this, they possess considerable charm, incorporating many ideas that appear in the published waltzes, whether as gifts or withheld from the public. For instance, the main theme of the D-flat major waltz op. 70 No. 3, likely originating from Chopin's time in Warsaw, foreshadows the smooth chromaticism in the background of the A-flat major waltz op. 42. His first extant waltz, op. 69 No. 2 in B minor, plays with dissonant chromatic tones' destabilizing effects, typically positioned at the start of phrases. The piece is inscribed with dolente ("plaintive"), reflecting Chopin's early inclination towards the melancholic side of minor key waltzes. Notably, there is a prevalence of minor key waltzes among the confirmed unpublished waltzes (besides the B minor waltz, there are also ones in E minor, KKIVa/15, F minor op. 70 No. 2, as well as the late A minor waltz KKIVb/11), possibly indicating the sentimental preferences of Chopin's recipients (though the dramatic flair of the E minor waltz counters a straightforward alignment of key and emotion).
Two of the waltzes offer a rare glimpse into Chopin's personal feelings towards women. In a letter to a friend, Chopin highlighted an expressively intense passage in the D-flat major waltz op. 70 No. 3 (unfortunately, the corresponding manuscript is lost, making it uncertain which passage is referred to) and cited the young singer Kon