Lost Chopin sheet music found 200 years after his death

Curators at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City discovered a music manuscript believed to be by Polish pianist and composer, Frédéric Chopin, in the museum's collection.

The work measures 4-to-5 inches, similar to other manuscripts by Chopin and is believed to be originally intended as a gift, according to the Morgan Library & Museum's press release.

"Chopin left it unsigned and unpublished, perhaps a sign that he felt some ambivalence about it, but he did add performing marks like piano fingerings and dynamics, showing that he intended it to be performed," McClellan said.

The sheet music was discovered nearly 200 years after Chopin's death. It was believed to have been written sometime between 1810-1849. Chopin died in 1849.

"The beginning of the piece is most remarkable: several moody, dissonant measures culminate in a loud outburst, before a melancholy melody begins. None of his known waltzes start this way, making this one even more intriguing," the press release said. 

"This newly discovered waltz expands our understanding of Chopin as a composer and opens new questions for scholars to consider regarding when he wrote it and for whom it was intended," said McClellan in the release.

The discovered Chopin piece will join the Morgan collection and will be made available for visitors to study.

"We see this announcement as the beginning of the process, not the end. We hope music lovers, pianists, and scholars will study and absorb it and form their own opinions," said McClellan.