Maria Szymanowska (Dec. 14, 1789 - July 25, 1831) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. Born in Warsaw, the history of her musical studies is largely unknown, but we know that she gave her first public recitals in Paris and Warsaw in 1810. Just five years after her first public recital, her professional career began, with tours all throughout Europe, with a few performances in private for royalty. One of the first virtuosos of the 19th century, her playing was well received. She was also one of the first pianists to play performances from memory, far ahead of Liszt and Clara Schumann. After touring for a while, she relocated to Moscow, and then St. Petersburg, where she was court pianist to the tsarina.

Szymanowska mainly wrote music for piano, thought she also wrote a few songs and chamber pieces. Her work is usually stylistically described as stile brilliante and of Polish Sentimentalism, and many scholars have debated her influence on Chopin.

Grand Valse For Piano Four Hands is a sparkling work written around 1820. It starts off with a charming little melody with lots of chromatic lines, with a few different small sections traded on and off between both pianists. Then they return to that very first melody, only embellished a bit more, and then similarly in the proceeding sections. A brief minor section follows, with a small cadenza-like section played by the first player before returning rather abruptly to the major key, and the work comes to a quick close. It's an enchanting little work, with delightful melodies and lines throughout.

Here's a recording of this piece for you to enjoy!

Slawomir Dobrzanski