FREE UK SHIPPING OVER £30!

Chopin - Mazurkas, etc

Label: Harmonia Mundi

Cat No: HMC902073

Barcode: 0794881967827

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 1

Genre: Instrumental

Release Date: 20th September 2010

This product has now been deleted. Information is for reference only.

Works

Chopin, Frederic

Mazurkas (51)

» no.3 in E major, op.6 no.3

» no.5 in B flat major, op.7 no.1

» no.11 in E minor, op.17 no.2

» no.13 in A minor, op.17 no.4

» no.15 in C major, op.24 no.2

» no.17 in B flat minor, op.24 no.4

» no.33 in B major, op.56 no.1

» no.41 in C sharp minor, op.63 no.3

» no.47 in A minor, op.posth 68 no.2

» no.49 in F minor, op.posth 68 no.4

Nocturnes (21)

» no.13 in C minor, op.48 no.1

Polonaise no.7 in A flat major, op.61 'Polonaise-Fantaisie'
Scherzi (4)

» no.1 in B minor, op.20

Artists

Cedric Tiberghien (piano)

Works

Chopin, Frederic

Mazurkas (51)

» no.3 in E major, op.6 no.3

» no.5 in B flat major, op.7 no.1

» no.11 in E minor, op.17 no.2

» no.13 in A minor, op.17 no.4

» no.15 in C major, op.24 no.2

» no.17 in B flat minor, op.24 no.4

» no.33 in B major, op.56 no.1

» no.41 in C sharp minor, op.63 no.3

» no.47 in A minor, op.posth 68 no.2

» no.49 in F minor, op.posth 68 no.4

Nocturnes (21)

» no.13 in C minor, op.48 no.1

Polonaise no.7 in A flat major, op.61 'Polonaise-Fantaisie'
Scherzi (4)

» no.1 in B minor, op.20

Artists

Cedric Tiberghien (piano)

About

Cédric Tiberghien offers us a panorama of Chopin’s output, with three of the composer’s key works framed by a selection of mazurkas.

“I devised a recital programme for the 150th anniversary of Chopin’s death in 1999. The idea was to offer a panoramic survey of his output featuring several representative ‘large’ pieces, with the mazurkas providing a sort of chronological thread between them. So ten years later it was a natural process to narrow the focus down to three key pieces from different periods of Chopin’s life, surrounded by a generous selection of mazurkas… One of the very first Chopin pieces I discovered was on a record telling the story of the composer’s life: the Mazurka op.68 no.2, which illustrates the nostalgia for his homeland, the melancholy so often present in his music. I think the mazurkas show the most intimate side of Chopin’s personality, with their mixture of improvisation, evocation, and the ephemeral. These short pieces were a way for him to stay in touch with the roots of his country; he has nothing to prove, he submits to no rule except that of his inner music. I find it fascinating to see how varied Chopin’s inspiration is despite the common basis of all the mazurkas.

As I explored the fifty-one pieces in the collection, I rediscovered masterpieces I thought I knew already, while others that were new to me have now become essential parts of my life. Chopin wrote mazurkas throughout his adult career, from 1830 to 1849. The first ones (opp.6 and 7) emphasise the popular element, while the later examples (op.59, op.68 no.4) show an unprecedented harmonic refinement that betrays his contact with French culture.

The Scherzo has always struck me with its violence, which grips you right from the first chord and never lets up until the magnificent ‘Christmas carol’ which is transcendent in its simplicity. The Nocturne illustrates how important melody was for Chopin. He insisted that all his pupils should practise singing so that they would sense the phrasing, the direction of the lines, the moments of tension and relaxation.

The Polonaise-Fantaisie is a very special work. It’s at the very opposite pole from the mazurkas, if only in its dimensions; and it achieves a mysterious balance between its improvisatory aspect and the strength of its architecture, between extreme complexity and a feeling of intimacy. The opening chords warn the listener: ‘Prepare for an extraordinary journey.’ If I were allowed to keep only one work by Chopin, it would be this Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat – a key which was very dear to him, incidentally. For me it’s the perfect expression of his personality.”
Cédric Tiberghien