Polonaise, Op. 53 (Chopin)

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The Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 or (French: Polonaise héroïque, Heroic Polonaise) was written by Frédéric Chopin in 1842 for solo piano. This masterpiece is one of Chopin's most popular compositions and is still a current favorite of the classical pianoforte repertoire. The piece requires exceptional pianistic skills and requires virtuosity in order to be played at an appropriate level of quality.

Although the piece is labeled as a polonaise, it has little to do with the typical polonaise style. It presents two sections with a polonaise rhythm, but most of it has no particular polonaise attribute. It has been said that Chopin had composed the piece having a free and powerful Poland in mind, which may have led him to label it as a Polonaise.^{[citation needed]}

Another possibility is that the Heroic Polonaise is closely related to the Polonaise in A major, Op.40, No. 1, known as the Military Polonaise. The introduction section of the Heroic is obviously inspired by the Military, which, unlike the Heroic, was a true polonaise.

Contents 1 Technical aspects 2 Music 3 In popular culture 4 External links

[edit] Technical aspects

The piece contains many piano technical aspects, among others:

• Tempo rubato
• Extremely fast scales
• Trills
• Fast octave pounding
• Fast arpeggios
• Broken chords
• Chords with wide fingering
• Use of a wide range of the piano keyboard The range runs from the low C to the high E flat of the modern piano. Chopin's piano ran from low C to high A (82 notes).
• Chromatic Fourths

[edit] Music

The tempo of the piece is Alla polacca e maestoso ("like a polonaise and majestic"). The form is ternary (A-B-A), with a 30-second introduction.

The piece has a grand introduction with fast ascending chromatic notes in both hands, setting the mood of the piece. It shows the heroic side of Chopin's art.The first theme is a dance-like theme and is in the tonic key of A-flat major. It is the familiar part of the piece, and has the left hand moving in pounding octaves. The theme is repeated up an octave with short trills that fill some of the auditory gaps in the theme. There is a brief interlude with a series of chord progressions that lead into a recount of the traditional polonaise melody, with the polonaise rhythm employed in the left-hand accompaniment. The theme of Section A then repeats once before closing. Section B opens with six loud arpeggiando chords before switching to a very soft bass ostinato of descending octaves first in the key of E major and then in D sharp major. A march-like melody follows the descending octaves and this occurs twice. Section B ends, with a long lyrical interlude firstly with harmonic chord progressions and frequent modulations. A flowing sixteenth note melody in the right hand and light accompaniment in quavers (eight notes). This ends in a descending passage before Section A is replayed. The theme is played louder and more dramatically and ends in a coda which includes material derived from the main theme.

[edit] In popular culture

• Near the end of Andrzej Wajda's masterpiece film Ashes and Diamonds, Poles celebrate the end of World War II by dancing to the Polonaise.
• The principal theme of the Polonaise is the basis for the melody of a hit popular song of 1945, "Till the End of Time", written by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman. The best-known recording of the song was made by Perry Como.
• This polonaise is played by a character in the film Lost in the Desert and from this becomes an important theme in the soundtrack. It is during his practising of the piece that the father of a little boy who has been lost in the desert has a sudden emotional breakdown and interrupts his playing by hitting the keyboard wildly with his fists and producing loud crashing discords.
• The polonaise was also featured in the 1996 film Shine.
• The polonaise is featured in the 2007 Role Playing Game Eternal Sonata.
• The polonaise is used in a short instrumental in the song "Hyacinth House" by The Doors.
• Monty Python used this polonaise as accompaniment for their song about Oliver Cromwell.

[edit] External links

• Polonaise, Op. 53 sheet music available at Musopen.com
• Study Guide, Recordings and Sheet Music from Chopin Music
• Chopin - Polonaise As-Dur op 53 "Heroique" at YouTube, played by Rafał Blechacz (the Winner of the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition)

v • d • e Polonaises by Frédéric Chopin Introduction and Polonaise brillante, Op. 3 · Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante, Op. 22 · 2 Polonaises, Op. 26 · 2 Polonaises, Op. 40 · Polonaise, Op. 44 · Polonaise, Op. 53 · Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61 · 3 Polonaises, Op. posth. 71 · Posthumous polonaises without opus numbers List of compositions by Frédéric Chopin