Chopin's Early Polonaises (1817-1829) - Stefańska/Stefański

This is a collection of Chopin's Polonaises before he began to publish them with Op. 26. They are played by Halina-Czerny Stefańska and Ludwik Stefański.

Stefańscy's performances are not outwardly unique, but rather straight to the point: without any clutter or affectations. In my personal opinion, Stefańska's performance of A-flat is unparalleled.

Polonaise in G minor is generally considered to be Chopin's first composition. It was written in G minor, but most of it is in B-flat major. It features a very Classical melody. This Polonaise has an unusual characteristic in that only the first section is played Da Capo and not the second, this is unlike all of the other Polonaises in this collection. The trio has a more recognizable Polonaise-like bass, but it is interrupted by periods of Alberti bass.

Polonaise in B-flat major is very similar to the Polonaise in G minor, except it is less varied and refined than the latter, which means it may actually be Chopin's first. It would explain why it was not published along with G minor. It features a trio in G minor. Along with the first, there are also episodes of Alberti bass.

Polonaise in A-flat major shows a drastic change of style in three years. It was composed as a name day gift for Chopin's piano teacher Wojciech Żywny, meaning that it was probably composed shortly before the 23rd of April. This is the first piece for which there is an extant manuscript in the composer's hand. It is much more romantically oriented than the first two, perhaps so much so that it could be recognized as Chopin's work. It is much more bravura in style, featuring a brief 4:3 polyrhythm in the trio. It has several triumphant moments, and has more variation in regards to emotion compared to earlier works.

Polonaise in G-sharp minor is obviously far more bravura forward with lengthy runs across the keyboard. It shares techniques with Op. 1, Rondo in C minor, composed only the year after. It experiments with new composition techniques; but in regards to musicality, it is slightly lacking due to the excess of flourishes that define the piece more prominently than its emotion.

Polonaise in B-flat minor is the first Polonaise that does not repeat the second section of either parts. The piece is also titled as "Adieu à Guillaume Kolberg". Its trio quotes Rossini's "La gazza ladra". This Polonaise features a sort of intermediate style between G-sharp minor and D minor.

Polonaise in D minor features Chopin transition into maturity. Bravura is level with emotion and innovative harmonies. Its maturity is not immediately apparent until the second part of the Polonaise, where a very dramatic change of scene happens. Its trio features some of Chopin's first attempts at a chromatic circle of fifths progression that would not sound out of place in a work written ten years later.

Polonaise in B-flat major is the longest Polonaise of this collection. It has a light beginning section preceded by heavy introduction. There is plenty of fioritura, but in moderation. Its trio in G minor is a dramatic change of character. It starts with a theme consisting of dotted rhythms and lots of chromatic leading tones. It gives a tone reminiscent of an action movie. The second part of the trio features early examples of Chopin's orchestra-like episodes and chorale themes.

Polonaise in F minor may be the most mature sounding of all the Polonaises in this collection. It has a tone that is definitely indistinguishable from a composition from the early to mid 1830s. In a way, it technically is. Chopin made a copy of it from memory in 1836, perhaps with the intention of including it in Op. 26. Its trio has a very wishful and dreamy quality. The first theme of the trio ends with a syncopated dotted rhythm against normal 8th notes.

Polonaise in G-flat major is the only Polonaise in this collection that doesn't repeat either section of the trio. Stylistically, it is not much more developed than the previous. Its first part is quite triumphant.

Polonaise in G minor (1817) [Stefańska] - 0:00
Trio - 1:38

Polonaise in B-flat major (1817) [Stefańska] - 3:38
Trio - 4:52

Polonaise in A-flat major (1821) [Stefańska] - 7:50
Trio - 10:32

Polonaise in G-sharp minor (1824) [Stefański] - 14:19
Trio - 16:37

Polonaise in B-flat minor (1826) [Stefański] - 20:31
Trio - 22:14

Polonaise in D minor (1826), Op. 71 No. 1 [Stefańska] - 25:12
Trio - 27:14

Polonaise in B-flat major (1827), Op. 71 No. 2 [Stefańska] - 31:03
Trio - 34:05

Polonaise in F minor (1828), Op. 71 No. 3 [Stefański] - 39:04
Trio - 42:28

Polonaise in G-flat major (1829) [Stefański] - 46:19
Trio - 49:01

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9cHqsiTwKyoG9nrWp1zTA
Audio provided by davidhertzberg1

I would also like to thank Piupianissimo of IMSLP for high quality scans of the Polonaises. https://imslp.org/wiki/User:Piupianissimo

Видео Chopin's Early Polonaises (1817-1829) - Stefańska/Stefański канала ManticTac