Mazurkas, Op. 41 is a set of four

mazurka The mazurka ( Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character ...

s for

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

, composed and published between 1838 and 1839. A typical performance of the set lasts about nine and a half minutes.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

/ref> The set is dedicated to Chopin's friend

Stefan Witwicki Stefan Witwicki (September 13, 1801April 15, 1847) was a Polish poet of the Romantic period. Life From 1822 Witwicki worked in the Congress Poland's Government Commission on Religions and Education (''Komisja Rządowa Wyznań i Oświaty''). In ...

, a minor poet, ten of whose poems Chopin set to music as songs.

Composition

Classical Archives
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Structure

The order here is the order in the first German edition. The first French and English editions placed the C-sharp minor mazurka last rather than first.Internet Chopin Information Centre
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Mazurka in C# minor, Op. 41, No. 1

Description

The first mazurka is in C-sharp minor and has a time signature of 3/4. It also has the tempo marking: ''Maestoso''. The Mazurka op.41 no.4 in C sharp minor should really have a subtitle: in the Phrygian mode for this is the special quality of its main theme and the crowning climax at the end. How Chopin incorporates the mode into the piece is fascinating: The mazurka starts with an outlining of the Phrygian scale as a solo right hand melody, only then repeating it with harmonization and then subjecting it to harmonic development in E major. Various episodes introduce new key areas, all very clearly marked off from one another, many developing the dotted rhythm idea from the main theme. The big dominant build-up to the climax is quite awe-inspiring both in its length (14 bars) and its ubiquitous use of dotted rhythms. In the 13 bar coda Chopin takes us back to C sharp minor and we enjoy the minor scale without the characteristic flattened supertonic of the Phrygian mode.

Musical analysis

Mazurka in E minor, Op. 41, No. 2

Description

The second mazurka is in E minor and has a time signature of 3/4. It also has the tempo marking: ''Andantino''.

Musical analysis

Mazurka in B major, Op. 41, No. 3

Description

The third Mazurka is in B major and has a time signature of 3/4. It also has the tempo marking: ''Animato''.

Musical analysis

IMSLP Score
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Mazurka in A-flat major, Op. 41, No. 4

Description

The final mazurka in the set is in A-flat major and has a time signature of 3/4. It also has the

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

marking: ''Allegretto''.

References

External links

* Mazurka Op. 4
No.1No.2No.3
an
No.4
played by

Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein ( pl, Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 188720 December 1982) was a Polish-American pianist.

(

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) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mazurkas, Chopin41 1839 compositions Mazurkas by Frédéric Chopin Music with dedications