158 Frédéric Chopin (1810 -1849) Waltz Op. 64, No.2 in C-sharp Minor Composed in 1847 and dedicated to Baroness Nathaniel de Rothschild, the Waltz in C-sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 belongs to the last set of waltzes Chopin saw published in his lifetime, and it bears the weight of that finality. This is no ballroom dance. It is a dance poem for the soul, inward, elegiac, and deliberately not suited for actual dancing. Its rhythms are shaped less by the body than by the restless currents of a late Romantic imagination. The piece mingles characteristic waltz figures with the rhythmic streams of the mazurka across three distinct thematic sections. It opens with a sorrowful, searching melody, dignified and unresolved that carries the quiet ache Chopin's colleagues recognized as his most personal voice. This reverie is periodically overtaken by a rapid, spinning "più mosso" section in running eighth notes - a flash of nervous energy that arrives and vanishes like a sudden change of thought. At the center lies a Sostenuto in D-flat Major: a moment of lyrical warmth and fleeting consolation, before the surrounding shadows quietly return. Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849) Polonaise Op. 53 in A-flat Major, "Heroic" The Polonaise is a flamboyant and demanding Polish dance in 3/4 rhythm, originating in the late sixteenth century. Chopin elevated this form from a simple processional dance used in aristocratic ceremonies to a rich, complex musical opus. Through his many polonaises, he expressed national pride and longing for his homeland. He began composing polonaises as a child in Poland when he was seven years old (the last one was written three years before his death). When he arrived in Paris in 1830 and appeared in the home salons of high society, the new polonaises he composed were received with great enthusiasm. He succeeded in transforming the polonaise from a simple dance into a rich, elaborate composition. The "Heroic" Polonaise , Op. 53 in B-flat Major (1842) is one of his most popular works, comprising two virtuoso movements with a polonaise rhythm consisting of an eighth note, two sixteenth notes, followed by four eighth notes. It includes a famous middle section in E Major with rapid, powerful octaves that evoke the sound of galloping horses. The title "Heroic" was designated by others as the atmosphere of the piece became a symbol of the heroic struggle in Poland. Frédéric Chopin (1810 -1849) Ballade No. 4, Op. 52 in F Minor Chopin was the first composer to use the term “ballade” in the context of a piano piece, transforming lyrics and drama into music. He composed four ballades that combine melodic and dramatic music, full of outbursts of emotions. Chopin’s ballades have free form and their thematic and harmonic development are often unusual and surprising. All are written in 6-beat weight, building a strong sense of drama. Chopin’s fourth Ballade in F Minor was dedicated to Baroness Rothschild who introduced him to aristocrats at her Paris residence. Composed in 1842, this ballade is considered the most complex of the four. The piece Opening Event
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