The early Piano Sonata op. 4 offers interesting insights into the young Chopin’s compositional development. In all probability written during his student years at the Warsaw Conservatory and highly prized by Chopin himself, the nineteen-year-old composer presented the work to the publisher Tobias Haslinger on a visit to Vienna. But the publisher put off the still unknown composer. It was only when Chopin was at the height of his fame that Haslinger saw a possibility to do business – but this time it was Chopin who declined. Thus his first sonata was never published during his lifetime. To date an inside tip, this work is now available for the first time in Henle quality.
