<glacius:metadata>

    <title>Chopin's Mazurkas - Part 9</title>

    <description>Once again I listen to Chopin's Mazurkas (part 9)</description>

    <category>Piano</category>

    <category>Music</category>

    <category>Classical music</category>

    <category>Chopin</category>

    <series order="50">2022 music project</series>

    <series order="9">Reviewing Chopin's mazurkas</series>

</glacius:metadata>

<p>

    <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazurkas,_Op._63_(Chopin)">Opus 63</a>

    brings a close to this series. Technically there are the posthumous

    mazurkas but after this I'll have listened to and vaguely analyzed 41 of

    Chopin's mazurkas and frankly, that's enough for a lifetime.

</p>

<h2>Trois Mazurkas</h2>

<p>For <em>à Madame la Comtesse L. Czosnowska</em>.</p>

<h3>Op. 63, No. 1 in B major</h3>

<p>Starts off very minuet-ish with lots of passing tones in 3rds.</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no1-theme.png" type="image">

    <caption>Main theme of Op. 63, No. 1</caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    The beginning is fairly straightforward until a little modulation into E and then E♭,

    which ends with another one of those "spelling ties" that I enjoy so much.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no1-eflat.png" type="image">

    <caption>Modulation to E&#x266d; and a fun enharmonic tie</caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    The B section kind of reminds me of <em>Return to the Heart</em> by 

    <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lanz">David Lanz</a>

    <glacius:cite>Earlier this year 

    <glacius:link page="music/projects/david-lanz-skyline-firedance-suite">I recorded</glacius:link>

    some of his pieces</glacius:cite>, since

    the first beats match rhythm and tone and are in the same key. Op. 63 No. 3

    also starts very similarly.

</p>

<glacius:grid cols="3">

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no1-b.png" type="image">

            <caption>B section in Op. 63, No. 1</caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no1-b-lanz.png" type="image">

            <caption>Opening to David Lanz's <em>Return to the Heart</em></caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no1-b-no3.png" type="image">

            <caption>Opening to Op. 63, No. 3</caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

</glacius:grid>

<p>

    The coda has a nice little vibe with switching the beat from 3 → 2 and a little

    chromaticism in the right hand.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no1-coda.png" type="image">

    <caption>Descending chromatics in the coda</caption>

</glacius:figure>

<h3>Op. 63, No. 2 in F minor</h3>

<p>

    I liked the parallels in the main theme between the first eight measures

    and the last eight measures. The first eight in C and the second eight end

    in F minor with similar passages.

</p>

<glacius:grid cols="2">

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no2-theme-1.png" type="image">

            <caption>Ending of the first eight bars</caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

    <div>

        <glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no2-theme-2.png" type="image">

            <caption>Ending of the second eight bars</caption>

        </glacius:figure>

    </div>

</glacius:grid>

<p>

    The B section has a nice little fugue-esque countermelody as it kind of

    almost rotates around the circle of fifths (G → D → G → C → F).

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no2-countermelody.png" type="image">

    <caption>A little countermelody in the right-hand</caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    Overall very short and sweet. This was like the perfect length for a mazurka:

    very little monotony or repetition. Just some nice melodies.

</p>

<h3>Op. 63, No. 3 in C&#x266f; minor</h3>

<p>

    The main theme features the classic <code>V</code> of the <code>V</code>

    progression, going D♯ → G♯ → C♯m.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no3-5-of-5.png" type="image">

    <caption>

        <code>V</code> of the <code>V</code> (D&#x266f; &#x2192; G&#x266f; &#x2192; C&#x266f;m) 

        in the A section

    </caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    The return to the A section throws in a little deceptive cadence/picardy 3rd

    with a transition to C♯ instead of C♯m. Which then of course leads

    to the <code>V</code> of the <code>V</code> to get us back to the tonic.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no3-deception.png" type="image">

    <caption>Deceptive cadence with some more <code>V</code> of the <code>V</code></caption>

</glacius:figure>

<p>

    And it comes to a close with some truly Liszt-esque jumps. And also a left-hand

    crossover just to impress your audience, I guess.

</p>

<glacius:figure glacius:src="50-chopin-mazurkas-09-op63-no3-end.png" type="image">

    <caption>

        Chopin does a 

        <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_campanella"><em>La campanella</em></a> 

        to end his collection of mazurkas

        <glacius:cite>The ones published while he was alive, anyway.</glacius:cite>

    </caption>

</glacius:figure>