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

Waltz in C-sharp minor is the second work of Chopin's opus 64 and the companion to the Minute Waltz (Op. 64, No. 1), he dedicated this Waltz to Madame Nathaniel de Rothschild. It consists of three main themes:

• Theme A tempo giusto chordal with a walking pace feel;
• Theme B più mosso (faster) — theme stated in running eighth notes, with all harmony in the left hand.
• Theme C più lento (slower) — a sostenuto in the tonic major (D-flat major, enharmonic equivalent to C-sharp major). Besides the slower general pace, the melody is in quarter notes except for a few flourishes in eighth notes, giving this section the quality of an interlude before the dramatic restatement of Theme B

The overall layout of the piece is A B C B A B. The piece ends with a fade-out rather than the strident chords of his first Grande Valse Brillante (Op 18). In an orchestrated version, it forms part of the ballet Les Sylphides.

External links

• Waltzes Op. 64: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
• Hear a performance of the piece at The Chopin Project site
• Waltz No. 2 sheet music available at Musopen.com