This is another polonaise from Chopin's early years that was posthumously published, in this case in 1879, 30 years after his death. The composer wrote it as a present for one of his classmates, Wilus Kolberg. It is an unusual piece in that it is based on music from Rossini's 1817 opera La gazza ladra. This was not his first use of Rossini's music in his works: two years before this effort Chopin wrote the Variations for flute and piano in E major on a theme by Rossini, using the melody in the aria "Non più mesta" from the opera La Cenerentola, also from 1817.

This B flat minor polonaise opens with an elegant, somewhat dark theme, whose essence is pure Chopin. In fact, most of the music here sounds from his pen, not Rossini's. True, there is an Italianate quality in the subdued middle section and in some of the writing of the piano's upper register in the outer sections of the piece. But these influences are not strong and might even go unnoticed if one is not familiar with Rossini and Italian opera. The main theme returns in the latter half and closes the piece in a melancholy mood. This is a fine polonaise from Chopin, not quite among his better efforts in the genre, but still effective, especially in view of the fact he was a mere 16-year-old when he wrote it. This piece lasts from six to seven minutes in a typical performance.

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