In the nineteenth century, the waltz, which was descended from the Ländler and similar dances of the Austrian and German peasantry, became the most popular dance form in the nineteenth century for all levels of society, in the ballroom, in the parlor, and in the concert hall. Chopin wrote more than two dozen waltzes, although not all have survived. Most of them have an extroverted character and a flashy pianistic style. The waltz in A minor, displayed here, is different; it features a slower tempo and a succession of memorably melancholy melodies. The title Trois valses brillantes seems incongruous for such a piece, but the first and third waltzes of Opus 34 are as brilliant as advertised. Chopin dedicated this set to three different women; No. 2 was for the Baroness d’Ivry.

   This score came to Yale from the American composer and organist Ernest Trow Carter (1866–1953), whose papers are also here. It includes markings, which may be Carter’s.