Lost Chopin Waltz Found on a Postcard, 200 Years After It Was Written

Following Mozart, now Chopin is dropping a new track nearly 200 years after his death. Curator Robinson McClellan recently discovered an unknown waltz by Frédéric Chopin in a vault at New York City’s Morgan Library and Museum.

McClellan’s incredible find came as he was cataloging collections, including vintage photographs and signed Picasso postcards, the New York Times reported. Upon finding a composition with the label: “apparently in Chopin’s hand, but unsigned.” At first, McClellan was unconvinced of its authenticity.

Per the museum, the manuscript, which is dated between 1830 and 1835, “has 24 notated measures that the pianist repeats once.”

“The beginning is remarkable: several moody, dissonant measures culminate in a loud outburst, before a melancholy melody begins. None of Chopin’s known waltzes start this way, making this one even more intriguing,” the museum wrote on Facebook. “Lasting about a minute, this is the shortest of his waltzes, but it shares the signature ‘tightness’ of his finished works.”

How the Composition Was Determined to Be Written by Chopin

McClellan teamed up with Chopin scholar Jeffrey Kallberg to analyze the paper, ink, style, and handwriting, the Times reported. After doing so, the men determined that the music was likely by the famed composer. It’s the first discovery of its kind in nearly 100 years.

“What we’re most certain about is it is written in the hand of Chopin, paper that he wrote on himself in his own hand,” McClellan told the BBC, adding that he’s “98 percent sure” that, not only is it Chopin’s handwriting, but also his composition.

“There are atypical aspects of the music, the kind of stormy opening is a little surprising but not entirely out of character,” he noted. “And then the melody really to me is where you feel that Chopin quality.”

The museum wrote that the composition, which is about the size of an index card, was likely meant as a gift for someone’s autograph album. While Chopin was known to sign such manuscripts, the museum noted that, because this one is unsigned, he likely changed his mind about gifting it and withheld it.