Chopin's most mature piece?

[kersplona]

Many people say his most mature piece is the fourth ballade. How so? Couldn't you argue this position for the third sonata or even the Polonaise-fantasy? Or perhaps the notion of a "most mature" piece is just a silly idea. What do you think?

[teran]

Never really a good idea to discuss in terms of absolutes, but definitely one of the more mature pieces that comes to mind is the C Minor Nocturne Op 48 #1.

Imo the thematic structuring of that piece is close to unrivalled.

[fftransform]

"Maturity" is bound to be subjective.  Probably not what you meant by the question, but his most "forward-looking" pieces are probably the late nocturnes and the Fantasy Op. 49.

[cmg]

Or perhaps the notion of a "most mature" piece is just a silly idea. What do you think?

Yes.

[thesixthsensemusic]

If by 'mature' you mean 'a piece that shows the full capabilities of Chopin' I would say the Barcarole. IMHO it's his 'Opus Summum' e.g. the work in which he showed the very best examples of all the fields of musical composition he was good at. It's just so extremely dramatic, yet not in an over-the-top-way like many other brilliant piano works.. it's an incredibly complexe and technically difficult work without actually sounding very virtuoso-like... yet every single note in there has a purpose... don't know about you guys but IMHO this comes close to musical perfection like just a small number of other pieces do.

[redrobin62]

I wouldn't even sleep on his Nocturne No. 1 in Bbm, Op. 9, No. 1. It may have been written early, but Chopin was one of those kind of composers that matured early. When played well (read: Nikita Magaloff), there is such an earnest longing, a reaching out for reflective emotion that one can't help but think this could be a piece a man could relish on his death bed. Or maybe I'm just dreaming.

[tchristec]

I think that a lot of Chopin's earlier works seem to foreshadow works he composed later in life. One could argue that it is simply the development of his compositional style that gives this impression but when I listen to pieces such as his second scherzo, there is an almost sad, ironic kind of humor that he incorporates. This same feeling, which to me, almost sounds like his acceptance of his life and his mortality, can later be heard again in his barcarolle.   Another piece in which I feel this foreshadowing aspect is in his first concerto in E minor, especially the first movement. 

If I am correct, I believe in a letter that Chopin wrote around when he was first leaving Poland, he states that he is going away to die.  This sounds odd as it was the beginning of his European endeavors, but perhaps he himself knew something about life and mortality that can be found hidden in all of his works.

[thesuineg]

i don't think the op.48 is extremely mature. my opinion, its very natural, shows his natural genius, the form isn't all that..

well i think scherzo no.1 is better than the other 3. There just seems to be alot...more....idk


relating to the question, the most mature in my opinion would probably be the 3rd or 4th ballade.
Unlike most people, I really see the last 3 ballades on equal level.