<glacius:metadata>

    <title>Chopin's Mazurkas - Part 4</title>

    <description>Once again I listen to Chopin's Mazurkas (part 4)</description>

    <category>Piano</category>

    <category>Music</category>

    <category>Classical music</category>

    <category>Chopin</category>

    <series order="13">2022 music project</series>

    <series order="4">Reviewing Chopin's mazurkas</series>

</glacius:metadata>

<p>

    In which I listen to Chopin's Mazurkas and struggle with 

    <a href="https://lilypond.org/">Lilypond</a>. We begin on Op. 30, No. 1.

</p>

<h2>Quatre Mazurkas</h2>

<p>For <em>à la Princesse de Würtemberg</em>.</p>

<h3>Op. 30, No. 1 in C minor</h3>

<p>

    Once again a mazurka starts with a <code>V</code> &#x2192; <code>i</code> progression.

    Truly one of my favorite things in the world.<glacius:cite>I've pontificated on

    this phenomenon extensively in literally every other part of this

    <glacius:link series="Reviewing Chopin's mazurkas">series</glacius:link>.</glacius:cite>

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no1-intro-v.png" type="image">

    <caption>Once again a mazurka starts on the <code>V</code></caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    The A section ends with a "<code>V</code> of the <code>V</code>" progression and uses

    a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picardy_third">Picardy third</a> at the end to lead

    back nicely to C minor. I talked about the "<code>V</code> of the <code>V</code>" thing and 

    its prevalence previously in 

    <glacius:link page="music/projects/chopin-mazurkas-part-3">part 3</glacius:link>.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no1-v-of-v.png" type="image">

    <caption>

        "<code>V</code> of the <code>V</code>": <span style="color: darkorange">D7</span>

        resolves to <span style="color: red">G(7)</span> which resolves to

        <span style="color: #8080ff">Cm</span>

    </caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    It ends with an interesting

    semi-<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence#Deceptive_cadence">deceptive cadence</a> 

    by hitting you with a <code>iv</code> before 

    <a href="https://phamoxmusic.com/plagal-cadence/">plagally closing</a> to the <code>i</code>.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no1-end.png" type="image">

    <caption>The "deceptive" Fm chord in the left hand plagally resolves to Cm</caption>

</glacius:figure>

<h3>Op. 30, No. 2 in B minor</h3>

<p>

    I like the very beginning of this piece. It starts off with a

    <code>i</code> &#x2192; <code>V</code> progression in the first two measures, and then 

    repeats the same melody but employs an A♮ instead of an A♯ to achieve a

    <code>i</code> &#x2192; <code>v</code> progression.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no2-intro.png" type="image">

    <caption>F&#x266f;7 first time around, F&#x266f;m the second</caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    Since last time I did this I'm always on the lookout for 7♭5 chords, and

    we've found another in the B section. The B section is mostly a lesson in how

    the circle of fifths works, but Chopin sneaks in a descending chromatic motif in the

    left hand to go from <span style="color: darkorange">C&#x266f;7</span>

    &#x2192; <span style="color: red">F&#x266f;m</span> &#x2192; 

    <span style="color: green">B7&#x266d;5</span> &#x2192; 

    <span style="color: #6666ff">E</span>.

</p>

<p>

    I really like these kinds of things because it really emphasizes the importance

    of spelling and enharmonics. Tonally it's the same notes with the same frequency,

    but in this case the E♯ is very different harmonically from the F♮.

    Another reason why I'm not a huge fan of guitar tablature, because you lose

    this meaning when you only see, for example, <code>4 3</code> on the D string twice

    and it's not immediately obvious that the harmony is different since there is no

    indication of whether it's an E♯ or an F♮.

</p>

<glacius:grid cols="2">

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no2-lh-chromatics.png" type="image">

            <caption>Left-hand chromatics lead to the ever elusive 7&#x266d;5 chord</caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no2-tab.png" type="image">

            <caption>

                Enharmonic ambiguity in guitar tablature (is it E♯ or F♮?)

            </caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

</glacius:grid>

<p>

    In the C section Chopin repeats the idea of the main theme but with different harmonies.

    The right hand does the same thing four times in a row while the left hand slightly

    changes the harmony.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no2-c-section.png" type="image">

    <caption>LH changes the harmony underneath the repeating RH melody</caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    This mazurka is unusual in that it ends without gratuitous repeats. It follows an

    A → B → C → B progression without ever returning to the A section.

</p>

<h3>Op. 30, No. 3 in D&#x266d; major</h3>

<p>

    Some cool harmonies in this one. I particulary like the reverse (?) Picard Third

    type thing that occurs at the end of the A section. The piece ends with perhaps

    a double (?) reverse (?) Picardy third. Meaning, we're in D♭ major, it

    modulates to D♭ minor, and then hits you with an accented F♮ to

    re-assert that yes, it is in a major key.

</p>

<glacius:grid cols="2">

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no3-picardy.png" type="image">

            <caption>The transition back to the A section goes from D&#x266d;m to D&#x266d;</caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no3-picardy-end.png" type="image">

            <caption>

                The piece ends in a minor key but transitions suddenly back to a major key 

                for the final chord

            </caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

</glacius:grid>

<p>

    The transition back to the A section at the end of the piece reminds of Liszt's

    <em>Sonata in B minor</em> in that there's huge white space

    interspersed by out-of-key notes, before finally transitioning with full force

    into something more melodic.

</p>

<glacius:grid cols="2">

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no3-lisztish.png" type="image">

            <caption>

                The staccato quarter notes during the transition back to the A 

                section are reminiscient of Lizst.

            </caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no3-liszt-sonata.png" type="image">

            <caption>

                Liszt's <em>Sonata in B minor</em> begins with similarly staccato quarter notes

            </caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

</glacius:grid>

<h3>Op. 30, No. 4 in C&#x266f; minor</h3>

<p>

    The intro begins with a little "<code>V</code> of the <code>V</code>" action;

    once you notice it one place, it shows up everywhere. Like when you're tired

    of losing your car in the parking lot so you buy a new car in a hideous shade

    of orange so that it's instantly recognizable and then immediately discover that 

    everyone already owns an orange car. Or maybe not like that. Whatever.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no4-intro.png" type="image">

    <caption>

        More "<code>V</code> of the <code>V</code>" shenanigans: 

        D♯7 → G♯7 → C♯m

    </caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    This mazurka has some very Polonaise-like parts to it. Or at least I was

    reminded of the Military Polonaise with the stocatto chords. Most of the mazurkas

    have been understated: not using the whole range of the keyboard, and with

    honestly not a huge amount of dynamic range. This one breaks from the mold

    a bit with some fortissimos featuring the low end of the keyboard.

</p>

<glacius:grid cols="2">

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no4-dynamic-chords.png" type="image">

            <caption>Full dynamic range with Polonaise-like rhythms in the mazurka</caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="13-chopin-mazurkas-op30-no4-polonaise.png" type="image">

            <caption>

                Chopin's 

                <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonaises_Op._40_(Chopin)#Polonaise_in_A_major,_Op._40,_No._1">Military Polonaise</a>

                with similar rhythms and dynamic range

            </caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

</glacius:grid>

<p>

    Overall I really liked this one. It's one of my favorites so far in this series.

</p>

<h2>Downloads</h2>

<ul>

    <li>

        <glacius:link file="13-chopin-mazurkas-04.ly">Lilypond source</glacius:link>

        used to generate the graphics in this article

    </li>

</ul>