Though today he is known for his prolific contributions to the mazurka, polonaise and waltz, Chopin also experimented with other dances forms. As can be guessed, the results of the experiments were obviously unfavorable to the composer since he never returned to these other forms. One such experiment was the Contredanse composed while Chopin was still a student in Warsaw. Originating in England where it was known as a “country dance,” the contredanse was a dance popular in France in the late eighteenth century. The work was never published during the composer’s life—another indication Chopin did not consider it a worthy composition. Although against the stern wishes of the composer that his unpublished manuscripts be destroyed, it has appeared in print since his death in 1849.
The Contredanse is lighthearted with an aristocratic grace not found in many of Chopin’s later works. Nor is there the touch of melancholy that colored so many of his compositions for the piano, even those in a major key. The construction of the dance is also simple: a ternary design with a brief central episode in the key of the subdominant. Throughout the piece, the harmony is remarkably diatonic compared to the chromaticism Chopin utilized in later years. Overall, the Contredanse abounds in carefree joviality, an adequate musical accompaniment to the dance itself. Joseph DuBose
Chopin's piano music remains the most frequently played in history. He is one of the few universal masters, and has never suffered an eclipse. Arthur Rubinstein wrote: "...it is not Romantic music in the Byronic sense. It does not tell stories or paint pictures. It is expressive and personal, but still a pure art."
Almost every note he wrote is in the permanent repertoire, but this first group of short pieces on today's program (written from different periods of his career) is an exception-they have remained little-known. Ren Zhang
Classical Music | Piano Music
Frédéric Chopin
Contredanse Play
Recorded on 09/25/2007, uploaded on 01/10/2009
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Though today he is known for his prolific contributions to the mazurka, polonaise and waltz, Chopin also experimented with other dances forms. As can be guessed, the results of the experiments were obviously unfavorable to the composer since he never returned to these other forms. One such experiment was the Contredanse composed while Chopin was still a student in Warsaw. Originating in England where it was known as a “country dance,” the contredanse was a dance popular in France in the late eighteenth century. The work was never published during the composer’s life—another indication Chopin did not consider it a worthy composition. Although against the stern wishes of the composer that his unpublished manuscripts be destroyed, it has appeared in print since his death in 1849.
The Contredanse is lighthearted with an aristocratic grace not found in many of Chopin’s later works. Nor is there the touch of melancholy that colored so many of his compositions for the piano, even those in a major key. The construction of the dance is also simple: a ternary design with a brief central episode in the key of the subdominant. Throughout the piece, the harmony is remarkably diatonic compared to the chromaticism Chopin utilized in later years. Overall, the Contredanse abounds in carefree joviality, an adequate musical accompaniment to the dance itself. Joseph DuBose
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Contredanse in G-flat Major Frédéric Chopin
Chopin's piano music remains the most frequently played in history. He is one of the few universal masters, and has never suffered an eclipse. Arthur Rubinstein wrote: "...it is not Romantic music in the Byronic sense. It does not tell stories or paint pictures. It is expressive and personal, but still a pure art."
Almost every note he wrote is in the permanent repertoire, but this first group of short pieces on today's program (written from different periods of his career) is an exception-they have remained little-known. Ren Zhang
More music by Frédéric Chopin
Mazurka Op. 33 No. 1 in g-sharp minor
Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2
Prelude in F major, Op. 28, No. 23, Moderato
Waltz Op 34 N° 2
Mazurka Op 67 N° 4
Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp Minor, Op. 66
Impromptu no. 3 in G-flat major, op. 51
Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
Mazurka Op 63 N° 2
Fantasy, Op. 49
Performances by same musician(s)
Cantabile
Invitation to the Dance
Largo
Sonata No. 2 in b-flat minor, Op. 35
Fugue in a minor
Feuille d'Album
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