Description
This is the first of the four Mazurkas, Op. 33, published in 1838. Throughout his life Chopin kept writing mazurkas, the folk dance of his native Poland, producing more than fifty in all. This short, simple piece opens the set.
It is in G-sharp minor and 3/4 time. Its distinctive dotted, lilting triple meter and folk-like melody give the piece its charm. It lasts about two and a half minutes with just 491 notes, around three per second, an unhurried density. Its range from G-sharp 1 to B5 dips below the bottom of a 61-key keyboard as written, but an octave shift fits every note on 61 keys.
At around two and a half minutes, it poses no major technical hurdles, but capturing the subtle mazurka accent takes careful attention. In a mazurka the accent often falls on the second or third beat, and evenly weighted beats as printed will not sound like the dance. Listen repeatedly to the sway of the rhythm at a reduced playback speed, and play the opening melody over and over with the A-B loop to find how the beat should feel while keeping the simple, rustic character of the dance.
Works based on Polish folk dance, infused with Chopin's longing for his homeland — deeply personal music.
Browse all songs in Mazurkas →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Frederic Chopin was born in Poland and made his career in Paris, remaining unusual among great composers for writing almost exclusively for piano. He poured his longing for his homeland into mazurkas and polonaises, while his ballades and etudes combine poetic melody with harmonic innovation. This site includes the "Revolutionary" and other etudes, Ballades No. 1 and No. 4, nocturnes, and the Preludes, Op. 28.
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