During Chopin's youth, the polonaise, a popular Polish social dance, became part of aristocratic life. Even as a young man, Chopin heard numerous polonaises by various composers from his homeland. Although the characteristic dance rhythm was already in use before his time, Chopin succeeded in musically developing the genre further, thus profoundly influencing later musicians such as Liszt and Scharwenka. The surviving works from his hand are mature examples of this form.
The polonaises Op. 26, composed in 1836 in C-sharp minor and E-flat minor, differ significantly from Chopin's earlier pieces. They reflect both his Polish identity and his sorrow over his country's fate under Russian rule. The Military Polonaise in A major from Op. 40, in particular, is among his most famous works and underscores Chopin's patriotic stance. In contrast, the C minor piece from the same opus expresses Poland's suffering with sublime depth. The works in Op. 40 are dedicated to Julian Fontana, while Op. 44 and Op. 53 represent further significant contributions by Chopin to the polonaise.
With the Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 61, Chopin breaks new ground and demonstrates his love of experimentation. Although typical polonaise elements are recognizable, imaginative improvisation takes center stage. Through sophisticated repetition and clever elaboration of the themes, Chopin achieves an unusually cohesive form. The Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise in E-flat major, Op. 22, which exists both as a solo piece and with orchestral accompaniment, demonstrates Chopin's virtuosity and his creative compositional style.
Garrick Ohlsson's interpretation of the Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise in E-flat major, Op. 22, highlights this work as an artistic pinnacle and impressively showcases the versatility of Chopin's oeuvre.