Chopin's Mazurkas - Part 3

This article is part 9 of 52 in the 2022 music project series.

This article is part 3 of 9 in the Reviewing Chopin's mazurkas series.

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Quatre Mazurkas

And we're back with another exciting installment of me listening to Chopin's Mazurkas and then talking to myself about them (previously: part 1 and part 2). We begin on Op. 24, No. 1.

Quatre Mazurkas

For a monsieur Comte de Perthuis

Op. 24, No. 1 in G minor

I'm excited to announce that Chopin has returned to form by starting with a V - i progression. A return to the classics (see part 1 for more details).

The main theme features some more "gypsy" style scales, with what I think is called the altered Phyrgian, i.e. harmonic minor with a raised 4th. In this case some rogue C♯'s.

The next section features some interesting echoing by the left hand. The 9th jump followed by a descending chromatic which was repeated a phrase earlier in the right hand.

The rogue C♯ makes another appearance to help transition from E♭ back to G minor by use of what appears to be a progression of E♭7 → A7♭5 → D7 and finally ending back at Gm. That "V of the V" progression which utilizes the ♭5 is a harmony that is not uncommonly seen seen in Chopin's music, and the Romantic era in general (e.g. Chopin's 2nd Ballade). Ragtime music also makes very heavy use of the "V of the V" progression, although you don't see a ♭5 very frequently.

Op. 24, No. 2 in C major

A nice happy number, to contrast the gypsy-style funeral dirge of No. 1. The brief F major arpeggio in the B section reminded me of Chopin's F major Etude Op. 10, No. 8. It even has a similar trill. Although it's like three times faster and covers three times as many octaves.

This is followed by perhaps the clunkiest modulation I've heard from Chopin. You don't frequently see a modulation beginning with a tritone. Also notice that the V → I progression is back on the menu as well!

The tritones continue as the left hand takes over the melody, this time in D♭ as opposed to A♭.

And again my score is missing a note that's present in the recording I'm listening to. A rogue A is can be heard but not seen right before the repeated quarter note chords at the end. Time to investigate once again.