Frédéric Chopin, 1837 Arranged by Fillipe Mendel - Largo in E-flat major (B.109) by Filipe Mendel

Frédéric Chopin’s Largo in E-flat major, B. 109 is a short, intimate work that reveals a quieter side of the composer’s musical personality. With its unhurried pace and expressive melodic writing, the piece offers a moment of reflection, allowing the beauty of its phrases and harmonic movement to take center stage.

This arrangement brings Chopin’s piano work into the chamber setting of a woodwind quartet, featuring flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. The musical lines have been carefully distributed among the four instruments, creating a varied palette of timbres while preserving the simplicity and gentle character of the original.

Particular attention was given to phrasing, register, articulation, breathing points, and the balance between melody and accompaniment. Each instrument contributes to the texture in its own way, allowing the melodic line to emerge naturally while the accompanying voices provide harmonic support and depth. The result is an arrangement designed to feel idiomatic to the ensemble rather than merely transferring piano notes to wind instruments.

This version offers woodwind players an opportunity to explore a lesser-known work by Chopin through the intimacy and expressive possibilities of chamber music. It is well suited to recitals, chamber concerts, and programs featuring Romantic repertoire.