Understanding Music: Past and Present - Mazurka in F minor, Op. 7, no. 1

Mazurka in F minor, Op. 7, no. 1

Listening Guide

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Performed by Arthur Rubinstein

Composer: Fryderyk Chopin

Composition: Mazurka in F minor, Op. 7, no. 1

Date: 1836

Genre: piano character piece

Form: aaba'ba'ca'ca'

Nature of Text: the title indicates a stylized dance based on the Polish mazurka

Performing Forces: solo piano

What we want you to remember about this composition:

This mazurka is in triple time with emphasis on beat two
The texture is homophonic
Chopin asks the performer to use rubato

Other things to listen for

Its "c" strain uses a drone and augmented seconds
Its form is aaba'ba'ca'ca'

Timing

Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture

Form:

0:02

Triple-meter theme ascends up the scale and then descends and then repeats; brief ornaments on beat two of the measure. In F minor, with homophonic "boom-chuck" texture.

0:36

After a contrasting theme that oscillates, part of the first theme returns in a'.

ba'

1:04

[above section repeats]

ba'

1:33

Folk-like melody using augmented seconds. Listen for the drone as well as rubato (which Chopin asks for here).

1:47

2:04

C returns, then a.