Chopin's Mazurkas: The Polish Dance That Is Undanceable

Description
Over the years 1825–1849, Frédéric Chopin wrote at least 59 Mazurkas for piano, based on the traditional Polish dance. But his unique style differed significantly from the original. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
In 1921, Béla Bartók published an essay in which he said that Chopin "had not known authentic Polish folk music." Bartók suggested that Chopin instead had been influenced by national, and not folk music.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

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Transcript

Chopin started composing his mazurkas in 1825 and continued composing them until 1849, the year of his death.

The Mazurka in the hands of Chopin changed from being a Polish country dance to being celebrated in the drawing rooms and parlours of the most distinguished homes of the Romantic period. The origin of the mazurka comes from the word Mazur, a folk dance known for its inconsistent rhythmic accents. 

It was after 1830, with the Polish Uprising, that banished Chopin from Poland that he took up composing the mazurka seriously. In all, he composed 59 mazurkas. 

Chopin’s mazurkas were very different in character from their country dance source. His mazurkas included counterpoint and fugue and classical compositional techniques. He added more chromatic textures to further create interest. 

Chopin was able to depart from the original polish dances through the addition of irregular rhythms and repetition which made his mazurkas undanceable.