Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 02/25/2015, uploaded on 05/21/2015

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Chopin’s next waltzes, the three that make his opus 34, appeared some years later. The second of the set was the earliest to be composed and was written in 1834. The opening waltz was written the following year, and the last in 1838, which was also the same year that the three together were published. Perhaps nothing more than a curious observation, each of the three waltzes approximate the corresponding movements of the Classical sonata: the lengthy A-flat Waltz serving as its first movement, the Lento Waltz in A minor as its slow movement, and the brief F major Waltz as its witty finale.

Waltz in F major

The final waltz opus 34 returns to ebullient tone of the first, yet in terms of length it is far shorter than its two companions. Indeed, it lacks a true “Trio” and contains only three distinctive themes, making it rather unsuitable for the dance floor. It is often referred to as the “Cat’s Waltz” in reference to the unsubstantiated claim that Chopin’s cat hopped up on his piano and traced out the opening notes of its theme.

Eight measures upon the dominant chord and a further eight more of an ascending chromatic figure serve as the piece’s introduction. The first theme of running eighth notes has a decided unmelodic character and comes across more as a perpetuum mobile. Its distinctive motif, thrice repeated, has a curious length of four beats, which then creates an interesting hemiola effect with the waltz’s triple meter. The second theme in B-flat major, on the other hand, is certainly more tuneful, though still remains more motivic than melodic. However, despite these two theme’s unique characters, it is the following third theme that becomes the waltz’s centerpiece. Each of its phrases is opened with a downward leap of a minor seventh, and followed by a lively passage of staccato quarter notes embellished with grace notes, all of which is then concluded with sprightly trills. On its second repetition the theme unexpectedly modulates into the key of D-flat major. A deft modulation returns the waltz to the tonic key and a reprise of the first theme. However, it is with fragments of the witty third theme with which Chopin chooses to close the waltz.    Joseph DuBose

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.