Waltz opus posthume 69 n°1 by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) Transcription by Valérie Duchâteau www.valerieduchateau.com This year celebrates the bicentenary of the birth of Frédéric Chopin. This composer of Polish mother and French father lived most of his life in Paris, where his body rests in the Père Lachaise cemetery. His heart will remain forever in Poland where it is preserved in cognac, in a crystal urn in the Church of Saint Croix in Warsaw. This waltz was composed during the summer of 1835 when he was in love with Maria Wodzinka. In the midst of love, Frédéric Chopin had to separate from Maria and offered her this waltz, called "de l'Adieu". For two years, Frédéric Chopin lived in the hope of marrying the young woman but, little by little, the feelings she felt for him faded. Transcribing Chopin's piano music is not always easy because the tones of his compositions are often unrealizable for our instrument. In order to be able to bring his music to life on our strings, it is often essential to change the tone. The original of this waltz is in A flat major, I transcribed it in A major. The "strong" beat of the waltz is the first beat even if the interpretation of this composer's music remains free and as if improvised. On the recording made for the magazine, I did not do the covers of each part that I indicate on the score, which are those of Chopin's original. This waltz is divided into four parts: A, B, C and D. The A part returns at the end of the B part and the D part. The fingerings indicated are only a suggestion. Feel free to do it your own way. Overall, stay free and expressive.