Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin,was a Polish composer and
virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, who wrote
primarily for the solo piano. He gained and has
maintained renown worldwide as one of the leading
musicians of his era, whose "poetic genius was based on
a professional technique that was without equal in his
generation." Chopin was born in what was then the Duchy
of Warsaw, and grew up in Warsaw, which after 1815
became part of Congress Poland. A child prodigy, he
completed his musical education...(+)
Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin,was a Polish composer and
virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, who wrote
primarily for the solo piano. He gained and has
maintained renown worldwide as one of the leading
musicians of his era, whose "poetic genius was based on
a professional technique that was without equal in his
generation." Chopin was born in what was then the Duchy
of Warsaw, and grew up in Warsaw, which after 1815
became part of Congress Poland. A child prodigy, he
completed his musical education and composed many of
his works in Warsaw before leaving Poland at the age of
20, less than a month before the outbreak of the
November 1830 Uprising.
Mazurkas (Opus 33) are a set of four Mazurkas for piano
by Frédéric Chopin, composed and published in 1838.
The autograph manuscript of the mazurkas is preserved
in the National Library of Poland. The nineteenth
century saw the emergence of several new forms and
genres, in some part as a departure from the great
sonata form enlarged and expanded by Beethoven. As a
result, many composers, especially for the piano, were
turning towards more intimate character pieces. These
miniatures allowed for the brief exploration of an
idea, whether technical or emotional. Among the new
genres appearing at the time was Chopin's Mazurka, a
fusion of three Polish dance forms with the classical
traditions of the composer's homeland. The three dance
forms, the Mazur, the Kujawiak, and the Oberek, are
sometimes found in their pure form, but often are
merged with each other or with other genres or styles.
The Mazurka enabled Chopin to explore many different
dynamic, harmonic, and melodic colors, and to create
many different personalities and characteristics. The
result is a genre that can't be described universally,
each piece being unique.
The Mazurkas of Opus 33 each present distinct traits
and characteristics. The first, marked Lento, has a
lyrical, expressive melody line over a waltz pattern in
the bass. The mood shifts effortlessly between mournful
and hopeful, with a cherished and delicate intimacy.
The second Mazurka is a true Oberek, impetuous, fast,
and with strong, irregular accents. The mood is joyous,
with playful, comic tremolo figures. The coda is free
and full of flurries. The third piece of the
collection, marked Semplice, is truly a simple and
innocent approach to the genre. The sweet, tender
melodic line is supported by subtly accented second
beats, keeping the flavor of the dance. The final
Mazurka adds rhythmic interest to the set, with the
grace notes and trills bringing a rustic, native feel.
The piece is written in rondo form, with several
different characters appearing in the episodes between
the recurring original theme.
Mazurka in B minor, Op. 33, No. 4, the final mazurka of
the set, is one of the longest mazurkas at nearly 5
minutes in length. The piece is written in an ABABCA
structure, similar to a rondo form. The piece begins
with a captivating main melody, decorated with grace
notes and trills. This melody is repeated a total of
eight times throughout the piece; between it, different
melodies appear, but the main melody always returns. A
B? major section follows the theme, which is the B
section. The C section is in B major, which is the
parallel key to B minor.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazurkas,_Op._33_(Chopin
)).
Although composed for solo piano, I created this
Interpretation of the Mazurka in B Minor (Op. 33 No. 4)
for Oboe & Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
SHEET MUSIC