Chopin & Szymanowski

Featuring

Jonathan Fournel
Karol Szymanowski
Frédéric Chopin

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Cultural Impact

The Marcia funebre (Variation 8) from Szymanowski's Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10, was orchestrated by Roman Palester and played at Szymanowski's state funeral.

Composer Biography

Chopin composed the greater part of his Piano Sonata No. 3 after his sister Ludwika and her husband visited him in Nohant, France, following the death of his father.

Composition History

Szymanowski's Variations Op. 3 were written while he was studying counterpoint and composition with Zygmunt Noskowski in Warsaw, a time when Romanticism was still alive.

Composition History

Szymanowski's Variations on a Polish Folk Theme, Op. 10, drew its inspiration from an anthology rather than directly from folk sources at the time of its composition.

Composition History

Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 3 was known as his second sonata to his contemporaries, as his first sonata was published posthumously against his wishes.

Performer Biography

Jonathan Fournel gained international attention by winning the prestigious Queen Elisabeth International Grand Prix-Queen Mathilde Prize in 2021, along with two public prizes.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Chopin's Third Sonata shows a tendency towards a more linear writing style, influenced by Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, which was permanently on his music stand.