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- Maddy Shaw Roberts
- Fantaisie-Impromptu (1834) The posthumously published Fantaisie-Impromptu is one of Chopin’s most ostentatiously improvised works, and a fantastic show piece for the piano.
- Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante (1834) This piano epic is a beast of two characters. The Andante Spianato is a gentle, rippling affair, with a rather processional 3/4 section at its centre, while the Grand polonaise begins with a great fanfare in the brass section, coaxing the solo piano to lead on in dance form.
- Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. posth. (1870) A devastating melody that lures you in at pianissimo, and one most likely recognised for its use in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist.
- 24 Preludes (1839) As Bach is to The Well-Tempered Clavier, Chopin is to the 24 Preludes. In this extraordinary piano cycle, the composer covers all major and minor keys and uses a circle of fifths as his guide, following each major key with its relative minor.
- Nocturne in E Flat, Op. 9, No.2
- Piano Sonata No.2 in B Flat Minor, Op.35
- 24 Preludes, Op.28
- Polonaise-Fantaisie
- Ballade No.1 in G Minor
- Barcarolle
- Sonata No.3 in B Minor, Op.58
- Mazurkas, Op.24
- Fantaisie in F Minor
- Piano Concerto No.1 in E Minor, Op.11
The 21 Nocturnesare brief poetic marvels: sometimes tranquil nightscapes, sometimes startling, shadowy, and haunted-sounding works. Many are concert favorites, so what, then, is so special about this one? Well, what isn’t? Over a dipping and plunging accompaniment, two unmistakable voices seem to interact, plead, argue, conflict, despair, and recon...
Has there ever been another sonata as original and overwhelming as this? While it has become so familiar that perhaps we take it for granted today, we shouldn’t, because this music becomes more startling and terrifying at every turn. The first movement, with its feverish rhythms, seems to be a dialogue with death; the scherzo contrasts hammering, s...
Like Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier (minus the fugues), Chopin’s Preludestravel one by one through every key in a strict sequence. The pieces are brief – some shorter than a minute – yet the set is filled with such variety of invention and so many shades of expression that the listener can be left agape. Where does he dream up the hair-raising dr...
Of the self-contained longish pieces, the ten-minute Polonaise-Fantaisie – a late best Chopin work, published in 1846 – is the perfect musical novella, unique in structure and packing an astounding emotional punch. Its opening sounds free and improvisatory; the polonaise main section later contrasts with a middle episode that seems part lullaby, pa...
Chopin was only 21 when he created the first and most popular of his ballades. It is a highly dramatic piece, its ballade nature defined by its lilting rhythm and long-spun, bard-like melodies; ferocious and impassioned outbursts interrupt and transform its themes until it ends in a startling coda of stark, wild gestures. Some commentators have sug...
Chopin’s Barcarolleis based on the idea of a Venetian gondola song: it features a lilting, rocking accompaniment and an Italianate melody rich in cascades of thirds and sixths – Chopin’s passion for Italian bel canto opera is evident. Emotionally, though, there is much more to this piece; the central section is full of mystery, and a fantastical, v...
The most substantial of Chopin’s works for solo piano is also one of his more conventional efforts in terms of form. The work is in four movements, and its design is symphonic: a dramatic opening movement contrasting quasi-martial and lyrical themes; a scherzo demanding seriously fleet fingers, with a more reflective central section; a song-like la...
Many of Chopin’s Mazurkasare masterpieces in miniature, and choosing one set is a particularly invidious task. The relatively early (1836) Op.24 are four pieces that overflow with charm, melody, and pathos. The last, in B flat minor, is particularly original, with the balance between the rhythm of the Polish folk dance and the composer’s reflective...
This piece from 1841, when Chopin was at the height of his powers, is a remarkable creation with something of a literary masterpiece’s heightened atmospheres and cause-and-effect progression. Chopin’s penchant for improvisation may be the clue to how it unfurls from the ghostly opening march theme to the flourishes that usher in the tossing-and-tur...
Chopin’s two piano concertos were early works, composed when he was only about 19. Their freshness, vitality, and melodic flair remain enchanting, making them both perennial concert favorites and among the best Chopin works. Chopin’s writing for orchestra has attracted much criticism – and it’s not his strongest point, admittedly. But he has a spec...
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Oct 29, 2017 · 1. The Nocturnes – Moravec. To me, the Nocturnes are the quintessential Chopin, even more than the Preludes or the Etudes. And when we talk Nocturnes, the legendary Ivan Moravec version really is unbeatable. It is not by coincidence that I’ve ranked Moravec in my in My Top 10 Favorite Classical Pianists for this album alone.
Complete with the original Gramophone reviews of 50 of the finest Chopin recordings available.
- Gramophone
Mar 6, 2019 · The main bulk of Chopin’s catalogue falls under the categories: Mazurkas, Waltzes, Nocturnes, Polonaises, Etudes, Impromptus, Scherzos, Ballades, Preludes and Sonatas. He also wrote some odd pieces that don’t fall into any of these categories as well as two piano concertos.
Frédéric Chopin wrote 21 nocturnes for solo piano between 1827 and 1846. They are generally considered among the finest short solo works for the instrument and hold an important place in contemporary concert repertoire. [1]
