Miscellaneous compositions (Chopin)

The great bulk of Frédéric Chopin's output consists of pieces for solo piano: his ballades, études, impromptus, mazurkas, nocturnes, polonaises, preludes, rondos, scherzos, sonatas and waltzes. There are also the two piano concertos, four other works for piano and orchestra, and a small amount of chamber music.

Chopin at 25, by Maria Wodzińska, 1835

However, Chopin also produced a number of other compositions, mostly for solo piano, but some for other forces. Some of these are well-known, such as the Barcarolle in F-sharp, the Fantaisie in F minor, the Berceuse in D-flat, and some of the 19 Polish songs. Most of the other lesser-known works were published only after his death, contrary to his express wishes that all his unpublished manuscripts should be burned.

While often disregarded in the concert repertoire (particularly the posthumously published works), these miscellaneous works are nevertheless part of his oeuvre and must have been recorded, in some cases numerous times.

Posthumous opus numbers and other catalogue designations

Chopin expressed a death-bed wish that all his unpublished manuscripts be destroyed. However, at the request of the composer's mother and sisters, Julian Fontana selected 23 unpublished piano pieces and grouped them into eight posthumous opus numbers (Opp. 66–73). These works were published in 1855, and include the Fantaisie-Impromptu, 8 mazurkas, 5 waltzes, 3 polonaises, 3 écossaises, a nocturne, a rondo, and a Marche funèbre. In 1857, 17 of Chopin's Polish songs were published as Op. 74.

Various other works have been subsequently published, but have not been given opus numbers. They are identified by alternative numbers from the catalogues of:

• Maurice J. E. Brown (B),
• Krystyna Kobylańska (KK), and
• Josef Michał Chominski (A, C, D, E, P, S).

Extant miscellaneous works

Title	Forces*	Key	Composed	Published	Opus	Brown	Kobylańska	Chominski	Notes
Album Leaf (Feuille d'album); Moderato		E major	1843	1910		B. 151	KK. IVb/12
Allegretto		F‑sharp major	1829?						Reconstruction. Long version spurious, by Charles Mayer
Allegro de concert		A major	1841	1841	Op. 46	B. 72			Originally intended to be a third piano concerto
Andante spianato		G major	1834	1836	Op. 22	B. 88			Solo piano introduction to the Grande Polonaise
Andantino		G minor	*			B. 117			An arrangement for piano alone of the piano part of the song Wiosna; * 5 MS exist whose dates range from April 1838 to 1 September 1848
Barcarolle		F‑sharp major	1846	1846	Op. 60	B. 158
Berceuse		D-flat major	1844	1845	Op. 57	B. 154
Bolero		C major-A minor	1833	1834	Op. 19	B. 81
Two Bourrées		G major, A major	1846	1968		B. 160b	KK. VIIb/1-2
Canon		F minor	1839	1948		B. 129b	KK. IVc/1		Fragment.
Cantabile		B-flat major	1834	1931		B. 84	KK. IVb/6	P. 2/6
Three Écossaises		D major, G major, D-flat major	1826	1855	Op. posth. 72/3	B. 12
Fantaisie		F minor	1841	1841	Op. 49	B. 137
Fugue		A minor	1841-42	1898		B. 144	KK. IVc/2
3 Fugues		A minor, F major, D minor					KK. VIIa/2		Arr. from Cherubini's Cours de contrepoint et de fugue
Galopp		A-flat major	1846				KK. IVc/13	P. 2/13	Galop Marquis
Introduction et Variations brillantes sur le Rondeau favori "Je vends des scapulaires" from Hérold's Ludovic		B-flat major	1833		Op. 12	B. 80
Klavierstück		E-flat major	1840	1955		B.133	KK IVb/10	P. 2/10	Marked simply "Sostenuto"; sometimes classified as a Waltz
Largo		E-flat major	1837	1938		B. 109	KK. IVb/5	P. 2/5
Marche funèbre		C minor	1827	1855	Op. posth. 72/2	B. 20
17 Polish songs	Voice and piano		1827-47	1857	Op. posth. 74	various	various
2 Polish songs	Voice and piano		1830, 1840	1910		B. 51, 132	KK.IVa/11, IVb/9
Tarantelle		A-flat major	1841	1841	Op. 43	B. 139
Variation No. 6 for Hexameron		E major	1837	1839		B. 113
Variations on an Irish National Air (from Thomas Moore)	Piano 4-hands	D major	1826	1965		B. 12a	P. 1/6		Also known as Introduction, Theme and Variations in D on a Venetian air; Variations sur le Carnaval de Venise
Variations on the air "Der Schweizerbub"		E major	1826	1851		B. 14	KK. IVa/4		a.k.a. Introduction et Variations sur un Lied allemand
Variations in A, Souvenir de Paganini		A major	1829	1881		B. 37	KK. IVa/10

• * All for piano solo except where otherwise indicated.

Lost, destroyed, unavailable, doubtful and spurious works

There remain a number of works:

• whose MS are lost, destroyed, or unavailable to researchers; or
• whose authenticity is doubtful or spurious.

Title	Forces*	Key	Composed	Published	Brown	Kobylańska	Chominski	Status and Notes
Allegretto and Mazurka		A major, D minor				KK. VIIb/7-8		MS sold Paris 21 November 1974. These two little pieces were not recorded until 1992. Available.
Andante dolente		B-flat minor				KK. Vb/1		Lost. Copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant
Contredanse		G-flat major	1827	1934	B. 17	KK. Anh. Ia/4	A 1/4	Authenticity not universally accepted. The sole MS is not in Chopin's hand.[1]
Écossaise		E-flat major				KK. Ve/3		Lost. Two écossaises were in the hands of Oskar Kolberg.
Écossaise		B-flat major	1827			KK. Vb/9		Lost. Copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant. It seems this piece is different from the two écossaises belonging to Oskar Kolberg.
3 Marches		C-minor, B-flat minor and F minor				KK. Vd/1-3		Lost; perhaps includes the Marche funèbre in C minor, Op. posth. 72/2 and the Andante Dolente in B-flat minor
Marches			"early"			KK. Vf		Lost
Mazurka		B-flat minor				KK. Anh. Ib		Doubtful
Mazurka							KK. Ve/8	Mentioned in 1878 correspondence between Breitkopf & Hartel and Izabela Barczinska
Mazurka						KK. Ve/6		Mentioned in a note from Augener to C.A. Spina 21 May 1884
Mazurka (Mazurek)		D major	1820	1910	B. 4	KK. Anh. Ia/1	A 1/1	Doubtful. Available.
Mazurka		D major	1826			KK. Ve/5		Referred to in literature but the MS is unknown
Mazurka			1832			KK. Vc/2		Mentioned in a letter from Chopin dated 10 September 1832
Mazurka			14 September 1832			KK. Ve/7		Listed in an auction catalogue, Paris, 1906
Mazurka		G major	22 August 1829					Setting of a poem by Ignaz Macicowski
Mazurkas (several)			"early"			KK. Vf		Lost
Mazurka			by December 1846			KK. Vc/4		Mentioned in a letter from Chopin
Mazurka		F-sharp				KK. Anh. II/1		Spurious; by Charles Mayer (long version). Allegretto is believed by Chopin (short version reconstruction)
Military March	??		1817			KK. Vd/4		Lost; scoring for military band not by Chopin; dedicated to the Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich
Nocturne (No. 22) a.k.a. Nocturne oublié(e)		C-sharp minor				KK Anh Ia/6	A1/6	Spurious[2]
Polonaises (several)			"early"			KK. Vf		Lost
2 Polonaises			1818					Lost; presented on 26 September 1818 to the Empress Maria Fyodorovna, mother of Tsar Alexander I of Russia, on the occasion of her visit to Warsaw
Polonaise			1825				KK. Vf	Lost; on themes by Rossini (The Barber of Seville) and Spontini; mentioned in a letter from Chopin dated November 1825. It was reported on the lost album of Izabela Grabowska (source: Koptiajev).
Polonaise			1831 (by July)				KK. Vc/1	Lost; mentioned in a letter from Chopin to his family
Polonaise			1832				KK. Vc/3	Mentioned in a letter from Chopin dated 10 September 1832
Prelude and Andantino animato		F major		1930		KK Anh Ia/2-3	A 1/2-3	Doubtful
2 sacred works	??		by 1846			KK. Va/1-2		Lost; includes Veni Creator
Sonata	Piano four-hands		1835			KK. Vc/5		Lost; mentioned in a letter from Chopin to Breitkopf
Song Plotno	Voice and piano					KK. Vd/5		Lost
Song	Voice and piano		January 1841			KK. Vc/10		Lost; mentioned in a letter of 9 January 1841
3 songs	Voice and piano					KK. Vd/6-8		Lost
6 songs	Voice and piano					KK. Anh. Ic/1		Doubtful
4 songs	Voice and ??					various		Violin parts only remain
Variations			January 1818			KK Ve/9		Lost
Variations	Piano 4-hands or 2 pianos	F major	1826			KK. Vb/2		Lost. Copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant
Variations on "Non più mesta" from Rossini's La Cenerentola	Flute and piano	E major	1824	1955	B. 9	KK. Anh. Ia/5	A 1/5	This work has been attributed to Chopin, but is generally considered spurious.
Variations on a Ukrainian Dumka by Antoni Radziwill	Violin and piano		1830			KK. VIIa/3		Lost
Waltz		E-flat major	1826-1827	1902	B. 46	KK. Iva/14	P. 1/14	Manuscript lost
Waltz (Valse mélancolique)		F-sharp minor	1838	1932		KK Ib/7	A 1/7	Spurious
Waltz		C major	1824			KK. Vb/8		Lost
Waltz		A minor	1824				KK. Vf	Lost. It was reported on Izabela Grabowska's lost album. "A delicious waltz dedicated to Countess Lubienska" (source: Koptiajev).
Waltz		C major	1826				KK. Vb/3	MS destroyed; copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant
Waltz		A-flat major	1827				KK. Vb/4	MS destroyed; copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant
Waltz (La Partenza)		D minor	1828				KK. Vb/6	MS destroyed; copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant
Waltz		A minor	1829					Discovered 1937; was in possession of H. Hinterberger of Vienna, but now believed destroyed
Waltz		A-flat major	1829-30			KK. Vb/5		Mentioned in a letter from Chopin to his family, 21 December 1830; MS destroyed; copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant
Waltz		E-flat major	1829-30			KK. Vb/7		MS destroyed; copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant
Waltz		C major	1831					MS destroyed; copy of first line made by Chopin's sister Ludwika is extant
Waltz			by 1845			KK. Ve/12		Mentioned in diary of L. Niedźwiecki
Waltz		B major	12 October 1848		B.166	KK. Va/3		MS in private hands (London) and unavailable.
Waltz		B-flat major	1849					Discovered 1952; in possession of Arthur Hedley
Waltz						KK. Vb/7		Mentioned in letters from Breitkopf to Izabela Barcińska in 1878
Waltz						KK. Ve/10		Listed in auction catalogue, Paris, March 1906
Waltzes (several)						KK.Vf		Lost. There exists a little fragment of what it seems a G-flat major waltz (1847?)
Several works	Violin and piano							Lost. Several of them were found on Izabela Grabowska's lost album.
2 works	Aeolopantaleon						KK. Ve/1-2	Lost. Notes and research on these pieces are found among others in "Jeszcze raz o dwóch nieznanych kompozycjach Chopina na eolipantalion" by Benjamin Vogel (1985)

• * For piano solo unless otherwise indicated.

References

1. Chopin Project
2. Nocturne Oubliée in C sharp minor at Musopen website