Frédéric Chopin's Waltz No. 19 in A minor, B. 150, WN 63, KK IVb/11, P. 2/11, is a

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...

for solo

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

. The waltz was written sometime between 1847 and 1849, but was not published until 1860, after the composer's death, by Jacques Maho. At this time, it was attributed to

Charlotte de Rothschild Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild (6 May 1825 – 20 July 1899) was a French socialite, painter, and a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France. Early years She was born in Paris, the daughter of Betty von Rothschild (1805� ...

and was published as No. 3 of "Four pieces for piano". This collection also included Chopin's Nocturne in C minor, B. 108.. Accessed April 22, 2018. It was not until 1955, 95 years after its initial publishing, that it was correctly attributed to Chopin.

Structure

This waltz is structured as a single movement in

rondo The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period. Etymology The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round". Despite the common etymological root, rondo ...

form marked

allegretto In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

. It is one of Chopin's shortest and technically easiest waltzes.

Analysis

The piece shows great sadness, while enclosing some episodes that hint at happiness and hope. The first

theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...

of the piece uses a simple but effective melody, conveying a sad portrait, with decorative

ornaments An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration *Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts *Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve on ...

used throughout. The second theme is more lively, punctuated by a brisk ascending arpeggio, although it still has a certain sadness. About halfway through the piece, there is a modulation into A major, featuring a happy and joyful melody. The piece concludes with the main theme, followed by a short coda.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Classical music Waltzes by Frédéric Chopin 1848 compositions Compositions in A minor Compositions by Frédéric Chopin published posthumously