Opus 69, No. 1 is a waltz by Chopin. It is sometimes known as The Farewell Waltz, or the L'adieu Valse.

History

The waltz was originally written as a farewell piece to Marie Wodzińska, to whom Chopin was once engaged. This autographed copy, first presented in September 1835, is now in the National Library in Warsaw, Poland. Another autographed version of the piece can be found at the Paris Conservatoire, but is considered to be a less refined version. A third is presented as the posthumous edition of Jules Fontana, but has not been substantiated by any known autograph.

Music

The waltz is in A flat major, with a time signature of 3/4. The tempo is marked at "Tempo di Valse," or a waltz tempo. The beginning theme is melancholic and nostalgic, and reaches a small high point with a fast flourish. The second part is marked "sempre delicatissimo," or "con anima" in other versions. It is somewhat more cheerful that the previous theme, but soon give way to the same first theme. After a second rendition of the first theme is a third theme, the most playful theme. It leads to another theme with a series of ascending double-stops. This fourth theme is marked "poco a poco crescendo," with other editions adding "ed appassionato." This leads back to the third, playful theme, and returns back to the beginning with a Da Capo al Fine.

In Entertainment

This song was heard in The Others and in an episode of Mad TV where Stuart gets piano lessons. It is prominently used in the PC game Alone in the Dark as both the game over music and as a song you can hear if you pick up a gramaphone and a certain record, though this version is played in a different tempo. Waterloo Bridge(starring Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh) also had a scene in which both danced. This song along with Auld Lang Syne creates a mesmerising experience.

External links

• Hear a performance of the piece at The Chopin Project site
• Study Guide, Recordings and Sheet Music from Chopin Music