Chopin's mazurkas aimed to create a 'sounding image' of his native Poland, using sophisticated harmonies and rhythms rather than direct folk melodies.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Chopin himself admitted that an overriding melancholy lent expressive force to his creative work, as seen in the Fantasy, Op. 49.
Compositional Technique
The Fantasy Impromptu, Op. 66, features a main theme with virtuosic energy and cross-rhythms, conveying a sense of improvisational freedom.
Composer Biography
Chopin preferred performing in salons, feeling at ease among high-born or artistic acquaintances, where he gave his most poetic and uninhibited performances.
Composition History
Chopin often withheld from publishing works he presented as gifts, including the Fantasy Impromptu, Op. 66, which he gave to Baroness d'Este.
Recording & Production
Pavel Kolesnikov chose a Yamaha CFX concert grand piano for this recording.
Composition History
Chopin's Waltz in D flat major, Op. 70 No. 3, was inspired by his unrequited crush on the young singer Konstancja Gładkowska.
