Chopin "MILITARY" Polonaise in A major, Op. 40 no. 1 - Analysis
Summary
TLDRThis video explores Chopin's Polonaise in A Major, Opus 40, No. 1, highlighting its strong rhythmic force and proud Polish heritage. The piece combines march rhythms with beautiful melodic lines, offering a dynamic and dramatic experience. The tutorial delves into the intricacies of the polonaise rhythm, modulations, and the expressive freedom needed to play it authentically.
Takeaways
- 🎵 Chopin's Polonaise is a traditional Polish ceremonial dance in triple time, characterized by assertive rhythms and a strong sense of march.
- 📚 The term 'Polonaise' means 'from Poland' and is used to maintain Polish heritage, especially in Chopin's compositions.
- 🎶 The essential Polonaise rhythm fills a full bar in triple time and is a defining factor of the genre, often used for accompaniment.
- 🎹 Chopin wrote numerous Polonaises for solo piano, with 11 having opus numbers and several more without, combining marching elements with beautiful melodic lines.
- 👆 The Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, No. 1, is manageable for advanced piano players, offering practice in octaves and big chords.
- 🎼 The piece follows a simple ABA form, with the middle section strictly adhering to the Polonaise rhythm, while the main section uses march rhythms.
- 🎭 The Polonaise in A major has a nickname 'Military' due to its strong character, resembling a glorious parade for Poland.
- 🎵 The rhythm of the Polonaise should be played slightly sharper than metrically notated to capture its full character and energy.
- 🎶 The middle section of the Polonaise in A major introduces a full Polonaise rhythm, contrasting with the main section's march rhythms.
- 🎵 Chopin's use of rhythmic and harmonic elements, such as the circle of fifths and chromatic modulations, adds depth and drama to the Polonaise.
Q & A
What is the significance of the word 'Polonaise' in Chopin's music?
-The word 'Polonaise' means 'from Poland' and refers to a popular traditional ceremonial dance in triple time. It is quite assertive in character, derived from the rhythmic elements in play, and is often used to keep the Polish heritage alive in Chopin's music.
What is the essential rhythmic feature of a Polonaise?
-The essential Polonaise rhythm fills out a full bar in triple time and is characterized by short and bouncy eighth notes combined with sixteenth notes, creating a strong rhythmic force that drives the music forward.
How many Polonaises did Chopin write for solo piano, and what are they like?
-Chopin wrote 11 Polonaises with opus numbers and a few more without. They combine marching elements with Chopin's typical beautiful melodic lines and a dynamic, dramatic unfolding in a symphonic manner, often with a healthy dose of chromatic modulation.
What is the difficulty level of Chopin's Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, Number 1?
-The Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, Number 1 is quite manageable and is considered to be at an advanced level, a little bit above intermediate. It is a great way to practice octaves and big chords in a native setting.
What is the form of Chopin's Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, Number 1?
-The piece is in a simple ABA form with a middle section that strictly adheres to the Polonaise rhythm. The main section, however, is not built upon this rhythm but uses a lot of march rhythms in general.
Why is the Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, Number 1 sometimes referred to as 'military'?
-It has the nickname 'military' due to its strong character, akin to a glorious parade for the pride of Poland, which is reflected in the powerful and assertive rhythmic elements.
How should the Polonaise rhythm be played to achieve the desired effect?
-The Polonaise rhythm should be played a bit sharper than what is metrically notated, almost as if it were a triplet, but not too sharp. This creates a more engaging and dynamic sound.
What is the role of the middle section in Chopin's Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, Number 1?
-The middle section features the full Polonaise rhythm and serves as a contrast to the main sections, which are built on march rhythms. It adds a different rhythmic color and energy to the piece.
How does Chopin use chromatic modulation in his Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, Number 1?
-Chopin uses chromatic modulation to create a dynamic and dramatic unfolding in the music. This is evident in the transitions between different sections and the use of chords that modulate through various keys.
What is the significance of the non-diatonic sequence in the middle section of the Polonaise?
-The non-diatonic sequence, such as the progression from F7 to B flat, adds a new tonality and rhythmic color to the piece. It creates a sense of surprise and contrast, enhancing the overall musical texture.
Outlines
🎵 Introduction to Chopin's Polonaise
This paragraph introduces Chopin's Polonaise, a piece that was composed to preserve his Polish heritage after moving to Paris. The word 'Polonaise' translates to 'from Poland' and refers to a traditional ceremonial dance in triple time, characterized by assertive rhythms, particularly the essential Polonaise rhythm that fills a full bar in triple time. Chopin wrote numerous Polonaises for solo piano, with 11 having OP numbers and a few more without. The music combines marching elements with Chopin's signature beautiful melodic lines and a dynamic, dramatic symphonic style, often involving chromatic modulation. The piece in A major, Opus 40, No. 1, is described as manageable for advanced players, offering a great opportunity to practice octaves and big chords. The form is simple ABA with a middle section adhering strictly to the Polonaise rhythm, while the main section uses march rhythms to evoke the spirit of a Polonaise. The nickname 'Military' is attributed to the piece due to its strong character, reminiscent of a glorious parade for Poland.
🎶 Exploring the Dominant and Harmonic Progressions
This paragraph delves into the harmonic structure and rhythmic elements of the Polonaise. It discusses the use of the dominant in the drum section and the legato phrases that follow. The music modulates through sharp keys, with a deceptive cadence leading to F minor and then back to the circle of fifths progression, ending in E major. The base notes hint at a C sharp, suggesting a C minor chord, though it is not technically present. The full first part of the piece is repeated as an answering segment, and the form is described as AA ba a ba with repeats. The middle section introduces the full Polonaise rhythm, and the importance of playing it with a slightly sharper emphasis than notated is emphasized. The melody in the middle section contrasts with the first section, featuring longer melodic lines, though the description suggests they are not particularly interesting, focusing instead on the proud moment conveyed by the music.
🎷 Rhythmic Complexity and Energetic Dynamics
This paragraph focuses on the rhythmic complexity and energetic dynamics of the Polonaise. It describes a mirroring motion in the music, reminiscent of circus music, with the left hand moving down while the right hand moves up. The harmony is simple, starting in D major and moving through secondary dominance to A7, then back to D major. The rhythm introduces a new color as Chopin overlaps equal sixteenth notes and triplets, creating a dense rhythmic flavor. The melody is contrasted with the first section, with a focus on the rhythmic foundation. The music includes a sequence that introduces new tonality, moving from F7 to B flat, G7 to C, and then A7 back to D, described as a non-diatonic sequence. The middle section of the piece is more restrained compared to the bombastic middle section, providing a nice contrast and a return to the first part of the middle section in D major.
🎻 Harmonic Transitions and Finale
The final paragraph discusses the harmonic transitions and the finale of the Polonaise. It describes the chromatic movement between the end notes of the trail and the transitional chromatic chords. The B flat is identified as a trone substitute from E7 to A, creating a French six chord with the trone substitute for the E. The closing cadence is described as unique and exciting to play, with a crescendo and accent on every note. The music returns to the first part of the middle section in D major, and the piece concludes with a full repeat of the A section without the short repeats, as per custom. The harmonic move is noted as feeling fresh, and the continuation is an exact repetition of the first part, wrapping up the piece.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Polonaise
💡Chopin
💡Rhythm
💡Triple Time
💡Opus
💡Chromatic Modulation
💡Piano
💡Dynamic
💡Harmonic
💡Form
💡Patriotism
Highlights
Polonaise is a traditional Polish ceremonial dance in triple time, characterized by assertive rhythmic elements.
The essential Polonaise rhythm fills a full bar in triple time, featuring short and bouncy eighth notes.
Chopin wrote many Polonaises for solo piano, combining marching elements with his typical pianistic melodies.
Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, No. 1, is manageable for advanced piano players and is a great way to practice octaves and big chords.
The piece is in simple ABA form with a middle section strictly adhering to the Polonaise rhythm.
The main section of the Polonaise is built upon march rhythms, giving it a strong character like a glorious parade.
Chopin uses a lot of march rhythms and chromatic modulation in the piece, adding a dynamic and dramatic unfolding.
The Polonaise in A major starts with dotted rhythms and staccato notes, creating a powerful motif.
The melody in the continuation section features a contrast to the first section with longer melodic lines.
Chopin introduces a new rhythmic color by overlapping equal sixteenth notes and triplets, creating a dense rhythmic flavor.
The middle section of the Polonaise has a full Polonaise rhythm, making it a key feature of the piece.
The Polonaise rhythm should be played slightly sharper than metrically notated to capture its essence.
Chopin's Polonaise in A major, Opus 40, No. 1, has a nickname 'Military' due to its strong character.
The piece features a circle of fifths progression, creating a harmonically rich structure.
The Polonaise includes a sequence that inserts a non-diatonic tonality, adding a unique element to the piece.
The middle section of the piece feels more restrained compared to the bombastic middle section.
Chopin's use of chromatic transitional chords in the piece adds a sense of drama and movement.
The piece ends with a powerful closing cadence, accentuating the strong character of the Polonaise.
Transcripts
together with Walts and mazeras shop and
wrote polones as a way to keep his
polish Heritage alive after his moved to
Paris the word basically means from
Poland and it's a popular traditional
ceremonial dance in triple time it's
quite assertive in character which comes
from the rhythmic elements in play it's
basically a lot of March rhythms but in
triple time so we have a lot of this and
this and this
and one rhythm in particular is the
essential pollinise Rhythm that fills
out a full bar in triple
time it's basically the defining factor
of a Poise and it's often used for the
accompaniment and the key feature here
is short and bouncy eighth notes and
together with the sixin notes they
create this strong rhythmic Force
driving
forward
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
shopan wrote quite many of them for solo
piano there's 11 with OP numbers and a
few more without Opus numbers and he
combines these marching elements with
his typical pianistic beautiful melody
lines and a dynamic and dramatic
unfolding in a symphonic Manner and
often with a healthy dose of chromatic
modulation this one in a major Opus 40
number one is quite manageable I would
say on an advanced level a little bit
above intermediate but it's a great way
to practice octaves and big chords in a
native settings that's really fun to
play and it's not too along with a lot
of the material repeated as well it's in
simple ABA form with a middle section
Strictly adhering To The polonized
Rhythm however the main section is not
built upon it but shopen uses a lot of
March rhythms in general so the effect
is that of a Poise anyway it has the
nickname military because of this strong
character like a glorious parade for the
pride of Poland so starting a major with
these dotted
rhythms and Stato 60 notes no pedal here
yet so it's the motif really
powerful and then an answer in the low
register and that's like the drums in
the military band
parade broom
Bo then the same motive now it's a a
little bit higher so instead of we go up
a
third same Harmony a
major some crunchy
diminished
chord now for the third time we move up
it's kind of the same C sharp but an
octave higher but now it's reharmonized
to a c Shar
major with the gsh like a pedal
point and uh G Shar 7 to C Shar so a m
to C Shar
major it's a mediant like very fresh
harmonic move and the Rhythm here it's
like the polonized
Rhythm like that would
be but here we get like the deluxe
version with a triplet it's like extra
medals on the
uniform so reach upward here we get St K
6 not but with a pedal in order to get a
real nice full Crescendo it helps with
to have the pedal even though it's
[Music]
say and we find our way back to a major
it's with this B
minor so that B minor is part of a major
rather than C so that's where we find
the way
back
and very Like An Elegant closing
actually to close with a Cadence but on
a weak beat so E7 to a but it's 1 2 3 it
closes on the weak third beat so that
sets up the continuation with a strong
first beat of course this is basically
the first so eight bar phrase the first
section now we get like a continuation
section it's the same material but now
we kick off from the dominant which
which is e so we get B7 it's the
dominant of the
dominant the drums
there here some new answer Legato
[Music]
phrase same here with the pedal on the S
Notes so we get a lot of Sharps here
suddenly so it's again
modulating
two D sharp 7 is this chord lot of
[Music]
Sharps nice deceptive Cadence here to an
fshp first inversion F
minor and now an amazing way back
[Music]
again and harmonically this is a circle
of fifth progr progression so we reach
an E
major but then from here we get the C
sharp like C sharp if you look at the
base that's a circle of
[Music]
fifth with some added seven
so F Shar Minor
7 B B minor 7 A7
to a it kicks off a little bit
deceptively because we have the E and
then the base does the C but we get an a
kind of anticipating the next chord so
it's not technically a C minor anywhere
but that's the harmonic function is
through the base C minor but it sounds
like
[Music]
this very firm resolution anyway
and here we basically get the full first
part eight bars in exact repetition as
an answering
segment C sharp
[Music]
major and that's the whole a section
well there's a repeat here of from the
middle part and then the recapitulation
again so technically you can say the the
form is AA ba a ba with the repeat but
if we move on get the middle section the
proper middle section we get the full
polonized Rhythm that you saw earlier
so now let's talk a little bit about
actually playing the polonized Rhythm
because it's supposed to be a little bit
sharper than what's uh metrically
notated so if I play it like in a
metronomic very rhythmic way as it
stands it sounds like
this and that's like it's too bland in a
way too boring it should be a little bit
sharper than that
almost if you think like a triplet so
one but not that sharp either so like
somewhere in between which is why we
notate it this way still and this is
like a good example of where in
classical music we need to follow the
score like we follow the instructions uh
to uh to a level but then there's a
whole field a space where there's the
freedom of expression and this is one of
those things you really notice that you
can't capture that exactly in the
rhythmic notation of it but it really is
supposed to be play that way but if you
start playing maybe start learning the
Rhythm so you have the rhythmic
Foundation like that and then start to
sharpen it up a bit so in the end I
think something like
this
now what happens here we have the
pollinise as the accompaniment and the
Melody has like a contrast to the first
section longer melodic lines but uh not
very interesting really it's just the
one and the five on the chord D
major but in a way that's enough to feel
the proud
moment and then the answer here this is
now we get some more
motion so it's really fun to play this
it's almost like circus
music get this mirroring motion the left
hand moves down and the right hand goes
up we get it from the
start
and it kind of escalates more and more
uh there are some nice chromatic
transitional chords here in between we
start in D Major so this is the four in
D going to D the one with just some
secondary dominance in
between and then to A7 which is a
dominant and we basically just go from
the
dominant back to T major very simple uh
harmonically structural music here in a
way like a contrast to the more
chromatic modulations we have elsewhere
in the piece in the next phrase for
example one final thing about the the
Rhythm here so we've had the polonized
rhythm of the equal 16 notes and we have
the deluxe version of the triplets and
we have the general dotted Rhythm lot
here shopan finds yet another a new
rhythmic color when he uh overlaps the
equal six in not and six in triplets so
it's incredibly dense rhythmic flavor
here really easy to play because you
just um you have one chord and you you
play it in that way and Incredibly
incredible
feeling so much
energy and here the um the proper more
steadfast only the equal 16 not
[Music]
here so here a repeat of the four bars
with the melody but now 4 to fortisimo
is kind of rare in shopan actually to
but it's what the situation demands uh
really powerful so
octaves and now a new
answer
it's kind of the same closing on from an
[Music]
A7 to D on the weak beat again but
before that we have this amazing
sequence so it's
F7 to B flat this is It's like a
sequence that's insert Ed with new
tonality so from a major where we
close the F7 it's a mediant move so from
a to F and it's a
dominant to B
flat and it's just a sequence so we go
F7 to B flat and then G7 to C and then
A7 A7 was always the goal to go back to
D so really nice insertion of a
non-diatonic sequence
[Music]
here and then all of that is repeated
but we move on now we get the mid
section of the mid section which feels
more more of an episode here so we get
louder trills in the
[Music]
liser
and so on so you can either think that
this is just the drums playing in the in
the band parade H but I had this idea
because it sounds a bit menacing so
maybe this is could be like an enemy
army or like a monster or a troll or
something that you should defeat with
your army the Polish
Army and this is the answer here is a
dialogue with a register
so starts up starts off a bit
uncertain but like they spur each other
here in in a kind of a battle if you you
don't have to think that way but I I
like that
[Music]
idea and who one do you think well the
good guys of course harmonically it's uh
like going chromatically between if you
look at the end notes of the
trail all the time and next time
so and
then just go in between those
transitional chromatic chords this one
the final one the B
flat is of course a trone substitute
from uh
E7 to a so this looks like an E7 in the
right hand but with the B flat you can
say that it's a French six
chord with the
trone substitute for the E the B flat so
then the e is a a flat five which makes
the French
flavor to a and this rundown closing
Cadence is like One of a Kind amazing to
play Ruto a molto crescendo and Trail
and Accent on every
[Music]
note so this takes us back to the U the
first part of the middle section the
Poise in D
Major
[Music]
uh and this is basically a full repeat
so that's eight bars and then we get the
close the answering eight bars and here
again Forte
[Music]
fmo
and then for the next page we get a full
repeat of the full a section but without
the short repeats in it as the custom
dictates but anyway it's
a so when we get here it's a little bit
more restrained this section than the
the middle section is so bombastic in a
way it feels nice to get a little bit
more restrained
here
this harmonic move still feels fresh in
a
[Music]
way and then we get the same
continuation but it's no new material
it's all in the first part exact
repetition of it so I don't need to play
that again I think we've already cover
it that's it shop hands Po in a major
number one thanks for watching s secrets
and the patreon shout out goes to De
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