Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2

The piece

Published in 1847, the last year Chopin brought out his music, this waltz is the second of Op. 64, between the "Minute" Waltz and a waltz in A-flat major; it is dedicated to Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild. Three ideas take turns: a melancholy theme in C-sharp minor, a round of eighth notes that spins without stopping, and a slower episode in D-flat major. The Leipzig edition followed here marks Tempo giusto, with no metronome, and prints "Più mosso" only at the second return of the eighth notes.

The theme is full of grace notes and sighs: let them breathe without breaking the three-beat pulse. The round of eighths needs a smooth, even right hand, with chromatic turns that call for careful fingering, while the left hand leaps between bass and chord. In the Più lento, sing the top line and lighten the chords. Practise each idea in a loop before linking all seven sections.