I only have a few weeks left before the end of the year, so I need to finish listening to the non-posthumous mazurkas or else I'll never forgive myself for being a quitter. I have 9 left. This week is Op. 56 and Op. 59. A double dose.

Trois Mazurkas

For à Mlle C. Maberly.

Op. 56, No. 1 in B major

This one starts off in my score with some ambiguous notation. The version I'm listening to is less ambiguous and uses accacciaturas instead of vertical parentheses.

The intro has some very strange modulation from B major to G major, and then eventually transitioning into the classic 7♭5 (one of my favorites from previous articles), which leads to F♯9 and then we're back in B. Nice.

And then an awkward key change from B to E♭. I feel like there's some theory there, but I don't know what it is. Chopin did the same thing in the Finale of his 3rd Sonata, in the middle section I think.

The E♭ section is quite lighty and frivolous, and is later mimicked in the key of G.

Op. 56, No. 2 in C major

The main theme of this one is quite lame. Lots of block chords in the left hand and an incoherent melody. But the B section has a pretty sweet little countermelody to it.

Op. 56, No. 3 in C minor

Trois Mazurkas

Op. 59, No. 1 in A minor

Op. 59, No. 2 in A♭ major

Op. 59, No. 3 in F♯ minor