The Waltz II: Hats off, gentlemen - a genius!

Returning to the 1820s and a young composer who began writing waltzes at the age of 14 (though the earliest are now lost) - Chopin. Chopin's waltzes are widely considered the greatest collection of waltzes of the first half of the 19th Century. Paradoxically, quite a few leading critics of Chopin tend to rank his waltzes on a lower rung of the ladder of greatness than several of his other genres (nocturnes, mazurkas, preludes, etc), regarding them as generally lighter pieces, but there are some absolute belters among them and many stand among the pinnacles of waltz form. I'll introduce you to them in chronological order, so you can trace Chopin's development. 

Waltz in A flat major, Op. posth - written between 1827-30, with an elegantly whirling main theme and a short bugle call-based episode.

Waltz in B minor, Op.69/2 - written in 1829, with a wistful main theme whose late return features a delightful new lead note (an A natural) and added touches of chromaticism. The contrasting episode takes us into B major, before dipping back into the minor in preparation for the return of the opening melody. A lovely, late-teenage work. 

Waltz in D flat major, Op.70/3 - written in 1829, it opens by entwining its main theme with a counter-melody - a principle of elegant voice-leading also found in the waltz's central passage. 

Waltz in E minor, Op.posth - possibly written in 1829, this is a more dramatic and brilliant kind of waltz, full of glinting figuration, though the main theme's companion brings in a more lyrical aspect. The middle section is a lovely, Italianate affair.

Waltz in E major, Op.posth - written in 1829-30, a tuneful waltz of much charm. 

Waltz in E flat major, Op.18 - written in 1831-32, Chopin's first published waltz. Styled "Grande valse brillante", it remains one of the composer's best-known waltzes, with a range of moods ranging from the vivacity of the opening to the yearning at the heart of the 'con anima' section. This waltz, like Weber's Invitation to the Dance, is very much a dance-poem. 

Waltz in G flat major, Op.70/1 - written in 1832, this has a vivacious main section and a middle section with a gorgeous Viennese-style lilt and melodiousness. 

Waltz in A minor, Op.34/2 - from 1834, this is one of my favourites. It has some lovely plays of major and minor, giving it a wider range of moods.

Waltz in A flat major, Op.34/1 - from 1835, this glitters and is replete with plum tunes. 

Waltz in A flat major, Op.69/1 - from 1835, this has a wistful melody of great charm. The 'con anima' section also has a folk-like melodic tic which Chopin transforms into pure lyricism. A 'trio' follows - a lilting song in thirds. 

Waltz in F major, Op.34/3 - from 1838. A whirligig of a waltz that is as dizzying as it is delightful. 

Waltz in A flat major, Op.42 - from 1840. A trill and softly-calling sixths invite us to the dance - a brilliant one with several tunes connected by a passage of quicksilver quavers. There's a particularly lovely song-like tune, harmonised richly, at the waltz's heart and a sparkling coda with a 'that's all, folks!' ending. 

Waltz in F minor, Op.70/2 - from 1841. A lovely, poignant opening melody, much Italianate beauty, sighing suspensions and elegantly-turned 'coloratura'-style writing makes this another favourite waltz.

Waltz in D flat major ("Minute"), Op.64/1 - from 1847, a much-loved waltz. Its central section is sublimated bel canto with added bell-like grace-notes on its tune's return. 

Waltz in C sharp minor, Op.64/2 - from 1847, a captivating waltz with a beautiful, gently lilting melody and a whirling continuation. A graceful bel canto melody in the central section only adds to the piece's appeal.

Waltz in A flat major, Op.64/3 - from 1847, this is the most intriguing of the Op.64 set, with its strongly rhythmic yet flexibly-shaped main theme. Trills transfer us to somewhere new before the left hand sings a fresh melody beneath pulsing chords. The music modulates and the delightful main theme returns.

Waltz in A minor, Op. posth - from 1847-9, this gorgeous, sadness-tinged waltz has a tune to, alas, die for and some elegant, bubbling decoration. 

And for the sake of 'completeness', a couple of waltzes classed as 'spurious':

Waltz in E flat major  

Waltz in F sharp minor

...and a genuine Chopin waltz, that doesn't bear the title 'waltz':

Sostenuto in E flat major - a slow, lyrical waltz in a simple ternary structure. 

It seems a shame to tear ourselves away from Chopin and his magical waltzes, but on we must go and other beauties await.

Chopin's songs

As a songwriter, Chopin is not held to be a master. He is seen as composing them for his own pleasure, writing in a simple vein that's free of subtlety and all that makes him such a special composer when writing for the piano. 

Yet in Moja pieszczotka ('My Joys', Op.74/12) we hear a song in the classic Chopin form of a mazurka which hardly lacks charm. The Polish dance form allies itself here to a French style of song writing that was  to grow into the lighter kind of French opera (in one direction) and the Russian 'romance' (in another).

In Smutna rzeka ('The Sad River', Op.74/3) a lamenting mother is given a plaintive melody in three-bar phrases, again suggesting an undercurrent of Polish folk song. It's a rather beautiful song.

Gdzie lubi ('What She Likes', Op.74/5) is less striking but still charming, again anticipating the Russian 'romance' yet still possessing a Polish flavour and a light sparkle. 

Something of the manner of Schubert is found in Posel ('The Messenger', Op.74/7) where rustic drones and modal accents add flavour to an attractive strophic song. There's even the Schubert-like touch of a nightingale being imitated in the closing bars.

Slavic melancholy fills Nie ma czego trzeba ('I Miss What I Have Not', Op.74/13), a song whose sound also seems to reach deep into Russia's future - an elegiac melody sung over spare chords connected by a sadly lilting piano refrain. 

Precz z moich oczu ('Out Of My Sight', Op.74/6) is just as appealing, having a sentimental character and containing a mild mixture of Italian opera-derived phrases, 'romance' traits and folk-song touches (the latter especially in one of the piano's interludes). As elsewhere, the individuality of Chopin's piano style, as found beyond his songs, is either absent or tamed pretty much beyond recognition - and yet it still gives pleasure. 

The mazurka again lies behind Sliczny Chlopiec ('Handsome Lad, Op.74/8) and gives it freshness - a freshness that if some kind composer of our time were to orchestrate the song might well carry it into many listeners' affections. Such music points towards light Romantic opera of the kind made great by the likes of Smetana and Tchaikovsky. 

Also in mazurka form is Zyczenie ('The Wish', Op.74/1). Domesticated into art song, its disarming simplicity makes it feel warm and friendly. 

Dwojaki koniec ('The Double End', Op.74/11) sets a morbid tale and is more conventional - the sort of poignant romance Tchaikovsky might have composed. 

In Pierscien ('The Ring', Op.74/14) a lovelorn man sings about his sorrows, again in the form of a mazurka - and pleasingly so. 

Poland's suffering inspired Spiew z mogily ('Leaves Are Falling', Op.74/17 - also known as 'Hymn from the Tomb') and fired Chopin's genius to create his strongest song. The piano starts out in a slow mazurka rhythm, introducing the haunting folk-shaped melody with which the singer begins. Elegiac melodic shapes closer to the 'romance' style follow, but dotted rhythms begin to summon a sturdier spirit which springs out in defiance in the song's middle section. This dramatic passage continues with a tense monotone before a strange, obsessively circling figure seizes both performers. The tension breaks into noble optimism but then the return of the opening music reverses the mood back to present sadness. 

The ballad Wojak ('The Warrior', Op.74/10) makes effective use of suggestion in the piano part's use of fanfares and evocations of a horse galloping (again not unlike Schubert).

I'm especially fond of Wiosna ('Spring', Op.74/2), which is lyrical and elegiac and uses the dumka rhythm. It's lovely and proves the power of a sharpened fourth to add a little folk-like magic to a piece. 

Narzeczony ('The Fiancé', Op.74/15) is a dramatic ballad with a striking stormy piano refrain. It makes a strong impression.

Dumka (without opus number) is a sad song but and its repetitive phrases give it a consoling quality that make it particularly winning. 

Also sad in mood is Melodia ('Elegy', Op.74/9), Chopin's last song, composed in an emotionally-charged operatic style. It's a fine piece, striking a deeper note than most of its companions. The piano's introduction is beautiful (with a lovely harmonic move) but a stark intensity pours into the music as the singer begins.

There's nothing elegiac about the charming Hulanka ('Merrymaking', Op.74/4), with its Slavic operetta-style tunefulness and robust, dancing rhythms. 

In Czary ('Enchantment', without opus number) there are mild pleasures to be had from its spry rhythms but it's not one of the better songs.

Finally in Piosenka Litewska ('Lithuanian Song', Op.74/16) Chopin again attractively draws on the spirit of the mazurka, particularly in the piano part. The vocal part conveys the passion of a young woman.

OK, there may be little of the daring and profundity of great Chopin in his nineteen songs but they are far more interesting and enjoyable than their reputation suggests - rather like Mozart's (but that's a story for another day!).