Chopin "MILITARY" Polonaise in A major, Op. 40 no. 1 - Analysis

Summary

This 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

00:00

🎵 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.

05:02

🎶 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.

10:03

🎷 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.

15:03

🎻 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.

Keywords

💡Polonaise

The term 'Polonaise' refers to a traditional Polish ceremonial dance in triple time. It is characterized by its assertive and rhythmic nature, often associated with march rhythms. In the context of the video, Chopin's 'Polonaise' is a musical composition that captures the essence of this dance, using specific rhythmic elements to evoke the pride and spirit of Poland. The script mentions that the essential 'Polonaise' rhythm fills out a full bar in triple time, which is a defining factor of the piece.

💡Chopin

Fryderyk Chopin, commonly known as Chopin, was a Polish composer and pianist who wrote numerous compositions, including the 'Polonaise'. In the video, Chopin's work is discussed in relation to his Polish heritage and his desire to keep this heritage alive through his music. The script specifically mentions that Chopin wrote many 'Polonaises' for solo piano, combining marching elements with his characteristically beautiful melodies and dynamic, dramatic unfolding.

💡Rhythm

Rhythm is a fundamental aspect of music, referring to the temporal organization of sounds and silences. In the context of the video, the 'Polonaise' rhythm is described as essential to the piece's identity. The script discusses how the rhythm should be played with a certain sharpness, almost like a triplet, to capture the spirit of the dance. This rhythmic characteristic is what gives the 'Polonaise' its driving force and assertive character.

💡Triple Time

Triple time, also known as 3/4 time, is a time signature in music where a piece is organized into groups of three beats. The video script mentions that the 'Polonaise' is a dance in triple time, which contributes to its lively and assertive character. The script also describes how the essential 'Polonaise' rhythm fills out a full bar in triple time, emphasizing the importance of this time signature in the composition.

💡Opus

In music, 'Opus' refers to a collection of works grouped and numbered in the order of their publication. The script mentions that Chopin wrote 11 'Polonaises' with opus numbers, indicating that these works were formally published and cataloged. The term 'Opus' helps in identifying and distinguishing different sets of compositions by a composer.

💡Chromatic Modulation

Chromatic modulation is a musical technique where the key of a piece changes through the use of chromatic notes, creating a smooth transition between keys. In the video, chromatic modulation is mentioned as a typical feature of Chopin's music, adding a dramatic and dynamic quality to his compositions. The script describes how this technique is used in the 'Polonaise' to create a sense of movement and contrast.

💡Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by striking strings with hammers. It is central to Chopin's 'Polonaise' compositions, as discussed in the video. The script mentions that Chopin wrote many 'Polonaises' for solo piano, highlighting the instrument's role in conveying the musical ideas and emotions of the piece. The piano's dynamic range and expressive capabilities are crucial in performing the 'Polonaise' effectively.

💡Dynamic

In music, 'dynamic' refers to the volume or intensity of sound. The script discusses how Chopin's 'Polonaise' has a dynamic and dramatic unfolding, indicating that the music changes in volume and intensity throughout the piece. This dynamic aspect contributes to the emotional impact and expressive power of the composition.

💡Harmonic

Harmony in music refers to the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect. The video script mentions that the 'Polonaise' uses harmonic progressions, such as the circle of fifths, to create a sense of movement and resolution. The script also discusses how certain chords, like the French sixth, contribute to the harmonic structure of the piece.

💡Form

Musical form refers to the structure or organization of a musical composition. The script describes the form of Chopin's 'Polonaise' as having an ABA structure, with a middle section that adheres to the 'Polonaise' rhythm. The form is significant in understanding how the piece is organized and how different sections relate to each other.

💡Patriotism

Patriotism is a strong feeling of love and support for one's country. In the context of the video, the 'Polonaise' is associated with a sense of pride and patriotism for Poland. The script mentions that the piece has a 'military' character, suggesting a connection to the strength and glory of the Polish nation. This patriotic theme is evident in the assertive rhythms and dramatic music of the 'Polonaise'.

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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