Composed in 1833 and published the following year, 1834, this work is dedicated to Countess Emilie de Flahaut. This piece, composed when Chopin was 23, reflects the exoticism prevalent in the Parisian opera and salon scenes of the time.

The Bolero is a Spanish folk dance, believed to have been created around 1780 by the dancer Sebastián Cerezo. It is characterized by a triple meter rhythm and castanet accompaniment.

This work in C major begins with an 87-measure introduction marked Allegro molto, followed by a Bolero in ternary form. Within the introduction itself, the musical character changes with the tempo shift to Più lento from measure 34. A distinctive feature of this Più lento section is the ties in the right-hand melody that cross bar lines. The end of the introduction features a single right-hand line of 32nd notes spanning 12 measures. The main section of the Bolero is marked Allegro vivace, with the left hand written in the same rhythm as a polonaise. In the middle section, the music modulates to A-flat major by reinterpreting D-sharp as E-flat, and the lively character of the preceding section gives way to a beautiful melody. The piece concludes with a rhythmic reiteration of the A major tonic chord in the low register.