Frederic Chopin : The Minute Waltz

Chopin composed several waltzes for his favourite instrument, the piano. This is one of the most famous of the bunch, but its nickname is rather obscure. Many books and radio announcers interpret "Minute" as meaning "60 seconds" which is far too fast as a tempo (the work should last somewhere between a minute and a half and 2 minutes). An alternative interpretation (and pronunciation) of "Minute" simply means small, which is a more accurate description. However Chopin's original name for the piece is "The Little Dog Waltz" since the inspiration for it was Chopin watching his dog chase its tail. The complete set of Chopin's waltzes is available from Sheet Music Plus (US) or The Music Room (UK).