Album insights
In 1817, Chopin created the enchanting Polonaises No. 11 in G minor and No. 12 in B-flat major at the age of seven. The G minor Polonaise, his earliest known work, was published around the time of its composition in Warsaw, while the B-flat major one was released as a facsimile copy made by Chopin's father in January 1934 in Krakow. Additionally, the A-flat major Polonaise, written in April 1821 and dedicated to Chopin's music teacher Wojciech Zywny, was first published in print in 1902. This delicate and ornate piece engages in an ambitious interplay of harmony, phrasing, and melody, transcending its original time and place of creation.
Moving on to compositions from later years, the Polonaise No. 14 in G-sharp minor, first published in 1864, was composed in 1822, featuring intricate arpeggiated figures and embellishments with a more elegant than impulsive effect. Chopin penned the Polonaise No. 15 in B minor on the evening of July 27, 1826, the night before departing for Bad Reinerz for his summer vacation. This piece reflects a memorable moment from Rossini's La Gazza Ladra that had particularly captivated his school friend Wilhelm Kolberg, marked by the trio in D-flat major with the title "Au revoir!"
Another composition, the Polonaise No. 16 in G-flat major, arose in the first half of 1829, preceding Chopin's move from Warsaw to Vienna. Although first published in 1870, Chopin's sister Louise was already familiar with the work, listing it in her handwritten catalog of his compositions. Despite skeptics like Niecks questioning its authenticity in comparison to Chopin's earlier attempts with the form, the motifs of this Polonaise appear relatively subdued and less hurried.
Considered as a reflection of turmoil and discord in Chopin's personal life between fall 1845 and summer 1846, the Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major marks a departure from traditional forms. By infusing new structural and expressive elements into this piece, Chopin evolved the conventional polonaise form to a complex unity, incorporating diverse features like a slow introduction, dance elements, sonata-like development, ornamental melodies akin to Nocturnes, and a deliberate thematic coherence. While initially criticized by figures like Liszt for its structure, Chopin's innovation in this piece is now more widely appreciated.
Chopin's ventures into various dance forms like Polonaises, Mazurkas, and Waltzes, along with occasional diversions like Bourrés and Ecossaises, resulted in a diverse repertoire. One of these creations, the Tarantella in A-flat major from the summer of 1841, exudes a brilliant and virtuosic character resembling Liszt's style, marked by harmonic richness and chromatic restlessness. Although some critics like Niecks found little to admire in its portrayal of a Neapolitan scene bereft of brilliance, figures like Schumann viewed it as a bold expression of Chopin's imagination, evoking images of wildly swirling dancers.
Sketches preserved at the Paris Conservatoire concerning the Bolero in A minor hint at a composition date around 1833, coinciding with Chopin's work on the Ballade in G minor and the Etudes Op.25. This piece, published by C. F. Peters in Leipzig in October 1834 and subsequently released by Wessel in London the following August as "Souvenir d'Andalousie," showcases a blend of Spanish flair and Polish spirit, earning Niecks' designation as a "Bolero à la Polonaise." Structured as a Rondo in A minor/A major with a striking introduction in C major, the Bolero's rhythmic accompaniment is distinctly Polish, while its Aeolian mode and metrical accents borrow influences from Iberian music, reflecting a nuanced approach to cadences that characterizes Chopin's unique style.
Transitioning to a work grounded in Chopin's earlier sketches for a piano concerto, the Allegro de Concert in A major, finalized in May 1841, hints at themes explored in earlier correspondence and family letters, suggesting its origins in a larger-scale concerto piece. Similarly, the Berceuse in D-flat major from 1843, revised the following year, stands as a testament to Chopin's peak lyrical craftsmanship, evoking a poetry that transcends analysis, marked by a hypnotic tonal landscape. This piece, entwined with a meticulous interplay of rising and falling motifs, rhythmic contrasts, and an unwavering pulse, captures a serene beauty akin to a nocturnal reverie.
Final piece: Anne Steeb/Bernd Müller