Mazurkas, Op. posth. (Chopin)

The Mazurkas, Op. posth. refer to a collection of mazurkas composed by Frédéric Chopin, published posthumously, meaning after his death in 1849. These pieces were not assigned opus numbers by Chopin himself, and were selected and grouped together by publishers based on their perceived quality and completeness. Consequently, there is no single definitive Mazurkas, Op. posth. collection, and different editions may contain varying numbers and arrangements of mazurkas.

These posthumously published mazurkas provide further insight into Chopin's lifelong engagement with the mazurka, a Polish folk dance form. They exhibit a range of emotions and styles, from the melancholic and introspective to the lively and energetic, characteristic of his mazurka output. They offer valuable additions to the repertoire, even if Chopin did not personally deem them ready for publication during his lifetime. The term "Op. posth." indicates that these works were not part of Chopin's officially catalogued compositions during his life. Their publication allows for a more comprehensive understanding of Chopin's compositional process and his exploration of the mazurka genre.