Composition

1817

Publication

Published in 1817 in Warsaw (Publisher: Cybulski)

This work was composed when Chopin was seven years old. Among his extant notated works, this is Chopin's first. This piece, transcribed by his father, was published by Father Cybulski's publishing house in Warsaw. For its publication, Count Skarbek, Chopin's godfather, provided financial assistance. The piece is dedicated to his sister, Miss Wiktoria.

In a Warsaw magazine published the following year, 1818, it was reported: "Not only does he play the most difficult pieces on the piano with remarkable ease and extraordinary aesthetic judgment, but he is also the author of several dances and variations, works which—considering above all the composer's tender age—are of a standard that cannot but astonish musical experts." (Translated by Tokimasa Sekiguchi)

Its structure is a three-part form: A (measures 1-22) - B (measures 23-38) - A (measures 1-12). It can be observed that, even at a young age, he was exploring the expressive possibilities of the piano, for instance, by crossing hands and employing diverse accompaniment patterns.