Art Blogging Contest

Please vote for Musical Perceptions in the Art Blogging Match of Doom

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Mazurk 5 in B flat Major by Chopin

I'm not exactly sure how to analyze a mazurka but I will try to write about as many things as I notice. The piece is written with a 3/4 dance feel, thus, it is a mazurka. Ha ha. Dah. Anyway, the dynamics really help the listener hear the different sections. The first section starts forte. It's very interesting how this piece is notated. The same notes are used in 3 consecutive phrases but the ryhthm is altered just enough that it makes a very unusual and exciting opening. I feel, however, that this motive gets a bit stale by the end. I counted that this rhythmic same note pattern is played 12 times during this piece and the piece is only 2 pages to begin with. Often the material played between these repetitive motives is very similar as well with and eighth followed by 16th rhythmic pattern. The next section that starts after the double bar line is in the dominant of B flat major in F M. This section adds dotted eighth ryhthms. It's very unusual because the first two phrases are tonally identical and rhythm is also similar except that the second parallel phrase excludes the dots and uses straight eighth note rhythm. Then the theme from the A section returns before the next double bar line. Now I think we're in the key of G flat M. This is my favorite section because it sounds Egyptian in nature. The static bass sounds like drums while the melody sounds like snake charming music. Then the A theme comes back in the original key to close up the piece. It's very difficult to define it by one form because the motive from the A section comes back so often it never allows for a true feeling of a new section. I would say there are slight hints of an A, B, and C section though.

No comments: