Basic Work Information

Year of Composition: 1838 Year of Publication: 1838

Dedication: To Mademoiselle A. d’Eichthal

Score Collection Information

• Paderewski Edition: No. 4
• Ekier Edition: No. 4
• Cortot Edition: No. 4
• Henle Edition: No. 4
• Peters Edition (Urtext): No. 4

Like Op. 34-1, this is a brilliant Vivace waltz. It was composed in 1838, the year his profound romance with George Sand began. As he departed for Mallorca with Sand in the same year, the revision for the French first edition was entrusted to his friend, Fontana. Since the autograph manuscript is lost, the specific revision process remains unknown. On August 8, 1839, from Nohant, where he was staying with Sand, he wrote to Fontana, inquiring whether a copy of this F major waltz had been delivered to Mademoiselle d'Eichthal, adding, "it doesn't matter if it hasn't been delivered." It could be said that the dedication had become somewhat formalized at the time of publication.

The year 1838 was not only significant for George Sand. Having completed the publication of the 12 Études, Op. 25, and thus all 24 études, Chopin was intensively engaged in composing the 24 Preludes, which he had already begun writing in 1836. He also brought Bach's scores to Mallorca, and his heightened awareness of tonality and modulation, inspired by The Well-Tempered Clavier, is evident in this F major waltz. The finely ascending and descending scale passages introduced in the central waltz theme have the effect of blurring the key through the frequent use of passing tones, enabling natural modulations (e.g., measures 143–158).