Idil Biret - Polonaises 2 - Music & Performance - CD

The Polonaise in C-sharp minor, Op. 26 No. 1 and the Polonaise in E-flat minor, Op. 26 No. 2 were composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1836. Both of them were dedicated to Josef Dessauer. Both Polonaises require considerable technique and stamina to be performed well. The second polonaise's main theme, a contrast to the majestic and joyful one in the first, features an even rhythm of semiquaver chords in the right hand starting with C minor, and a mournful melody played in octaves by the left, with occasional lines played by the right hand. It is interspersed with a more serene theme, before switching to the trio section in A? major, which incorporates typical polonaise rhythms. The main theme is then repeated, with an added dramatic melody in the right hand.