Chopin’s masterpieces. Popular classical music.

Complete WaltzesFrederic Chopin

Chopin: Complete Waltzes, Ashkenazy

Vladimir Ashkenazy performs works by Chopin, a pianist emblematic of the Romantic era.

Although it differs from the CD introduced in the video, the album ‘Etude Op.10 No.3 “Tristesse” ~ Chopin Masterpieces’ lives up to its title by collecting many of his famous pieces, making it an easy and enjoyable listen.

Polonaise No. 3 in A major, Op. 40-1Frederic Chopin

Chopin / “Military” Polonaise, Op. 40: Polonaise No. 3 in A major — Piano: Ayuko Higuchi

Chopin’s Polonaise No.

3 in A major, Op.

40 No.

1 is widely known as the “Military Polonaise,” a masterpiece that perhaps everyone has heard of.

Composed in 1838, it earned this name from its bright, majestically dignified melody.

Waltz No. 6 in D-flat major, Op. 64 No. 1Frederic Chopin

Chopin - Minute Waltz (Piano) High Quality / Classical

Also known in English as the Minute Waltz, this piece, Waltz No.

6 in D-flat major, Op.

64, No.

1, is famous in Japan as the “Little Dog Waltz.” It is a masterpiece that depicts on the piano a scene of his lover’s small dog playfully chasing its own tail.

Etude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3 “Tristesse” (Farewell Song)Frederic Chopin

Chopin – Farewell Etude

The piece known as “Farewell Song,” said to be the most popular among Japanese people, is included in Chopin’s collection of Études.

There’s even an anecdote that Chopin himself said, “I’ll never be able to compose such a beautiful melody again,” attesting to how wonderful the piece is.

Scherzo No. 2Frederic Chopin

Scherzo No.2 op.31 Cyprien Katsaris

The repeated “La, C, D, F, A” at the beginning functions like a motif, tightening the overall balance of the piece.

The control of tempo and dynamics is superb, keeping listeners engaged, and it’s also a favorite among performers.

It’s a piece often chosen for recitals and concerts.

Scherzo No. 4Frederic Chopin

Yundi Li plays Chopin Scherzo No. 4

Scherzo means ‘playful’ or ‘joking,’ and among Chopin’s scherzos, No.

4 conveys that meaning most strongly.

The light, agile right-hand melody vividly expresses a playful character.

Please enjoy this scherzo performed with Yundi Li’s exquisite technique.

Nocturne No. 20 (posthumous)Frederic Chopin

Chopin / Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. posth., No. 20 / Performed by Rieko Nezu

A nocturne with a strikingly sorrowful melody.

After it was used in the film The Pianist, it seems that in Japan there was an explosive increase in people who wanted to play it.

It is a gem imbued with sadness and poignancy, yet with an ineffable beauty.

Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2Frederic Chopin

Chopin / Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2

Composed in 1831, the Nocturne No.

2 in E-flat major, Op.

9 No.

2 may be the most famous of Chopin’s nocturnes in Japan, partly due to its use in popular films.

It is also well known as a piano study piece, as it is among the least technically demanding works in his nocturne collection.

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11Frederic Chopin

Frédéric Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor

Chopin composed only two piano concertos, and one of them, the Piano Concerto No.

1 in E minor, Op.

11, is said to have been written around 1830.

As the title suggests, it begins in E minor with a grand melody that truly showcases his talent.

Mazurek No. 5, Op. 7-1Frederic Chopin

Chopin / Mazurka in B-flat major, Op. 7 No. 1

Among Chopin’s mazurkas, there is a famous group known as the “Five Mazurkas.” The most renowned of these is Mazurka No.

5, Op.

7 No.

1.

It was composed in 1832, when Chopin was 23 years old.

This masterpiece seems to carry the breath of his homeland, Poland.