Mazurkas (Chopin)

Over the years 1824–1849, Frédéric Chopin wrote at least 58 compositions for piano called Mazurkas, making it the most extensive of his genres. Of the 58 that have been published:

45 were during Chopin's lifetime, of which 41 have opus numbers (with the remaining four works being two early mazurkas from 1826 and the "Notre Temps" and "Émile Gaillard" mazurkas that were published individually in 1841)

13 are posthumous, of which 8 have posthumous opus numbers (specifically, Opp. 67 & 68)

Besides these (and some miscellaneous compositions containing elements of a mazurka), 11 further mazurkas are known whose manuscripts are either doubtful (2, one of which is in private hands) or untraced (at least 9).

The serial numbering of the 58 published mazurkas normally goes up to only 51. The remaining 7 are referred to by their key or catalogue number.

Chopin's composition of these mazurkas signaled new ideas of nationalism.

Origin and Musical style

Chopin derived the mazurka form from one of the traditional Polish dances while transforming them into an entirely new genre, one that became known as a "Chopin genre". Some characteristics of the genre remain the same in his interpretation. For example, both the traditional mazurka and Chopin's version contain a great deal of repetition. This can mean repetition of a single measure or small group of measures, a theme, or even an entire section, most common in traditional mazurka dancing.