Mazurka no.8 - Op.7 no.4: Ab-major

Recording by Ashkenazy

This mazurka has a really bouncy feel to it, perhaps because of the utilization of both triplets and eighth notes.

Mazurka no.7 - Op.7 no.3: F-minor

Recording by Ashkenazy

I really liked how Chopin switched between major and minor keys in this mazurka.

Mazurka no.6 - Op.7 no.2: A-minor

Recording by Ashkenazy

This mazurka contains the melody entirely in the right hand with the left hand providing pure accompaniment. I really enjoy how the melody dances; the ascending chromatics add to the sultry feel.

Mazurka no.5 - Op.7 no.1: Bb-major

Recording by Ashkenazy

This mazurka was very light-hearted; there was a lot of ornamentation and trills. The feel of it was bouncy: that really is the best word to describe it.

Mazurka no.4 - Op.6 no.4: Eb-minor

Recording by Ashkenazy

One thing that I noticed about this mazurka is that the rhythmic emphasis is on beats two and three, not on beat one, which is more common in music. However, this uncharacteristic rhythmic emphasis is actually quite characteristic of a mazurka.

Mazurka no.3 - Op.6 no.3: E-major

Recording by Ashkenazy

The beginning of this mazurka is really exciting because the bass enforces the beat; the accents make this exciting to listen to.

Mazurka no.2 - Op.6 no.2: C#-minor

Recording by Ashkenazy

I looked up "mazurka" on Wikipedia because I wasn't sure exactly what it meant. "The mazurka (in Polish, mazurek). Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with an accent on the second or third beat."

This mazurka was not at a lively tempo (I don't think) and it doesn't seem like you could dance to it. Sometimes I wonder about those Polish people...Actually, on a serious note, the melody of this mazurka cuts quite deep. Chopin definitely was inspired. As usual, every note seems like it is in its proper place.

Mazurka no.1 - Op.6 no.1: F#-minor

Recording by Ashkenazy

The thing that really makes this mazurka is the catchy, unusual rhythm. The rhythm in this particular piece is as important, if not more important than the melody. Another thing that I noticed was that Chopin used a lot of suspensions in this piece.

Impromptu no.4 - Op.66: C#-minor

Recording by Rubinstein

Yeah, this is a REALLY famous one. REALLY famous.

It's not a wonder that it's famous, either. The beginning has this engrossing, dynamic melody that sounds like every single note is meant to be there. The B section contains this dream-like theme that flows right back into the A section. Perfect. Learning this piece would be awesome.

Impromptu no.3 - Op.51: Gb-major

Recording by Cziffra

One really interesting thing about this is that it is written in 12/8 time. An unusual time signature...

Chopin does it again when it comes to the emotion of the piece. The A section is light-hearted, and the B section is pensive and moody.

Impromptu no.2 - Op.36: F#-major

Recording by Rubinstein

The key of this piece is important to note; there must have been a purposeful reason for why Chopin didn't write in Gb major, for instance. I like the contrast between the loud, (inherently choppier), dotted eighths beamed to sixteenth notes and the quieter, more flowing triplets. Chopin is brilliant at creating two completely opposite moods in a single piece.

Impromptu no.1 - Op.29: Ab-major

Recording by Rubinstein

Having listened to all of the etudes, I am moving on to the impromptus; there are only four of them.

This first impromptu has a theme with several sections that sound unresolved, and this drives the listener to anticipate the next part of the piece. It also drives the music forward. As a whole, this piece flows remarkably well; the use of continuous triplets may have something to do with this.

Etude no.27 - Op.posth. Novelles Etüde No.3: Db-major

Recording by Biret

I think this etude may be about isolating fingers in the same hand. In this particular etude, the lower fingers in the right hand are playing staccato notes while the upper fingers are playing legato.