Mazurkas

[qpalqpal]

I don't know if this has been addressed recently. I am working on Chopin's last Mazurka, Op.68 No.4. Are there any guidelines/principles in playing this music. I have noticed a lot of more modern pianists play them more romantically legato but pianists like Rubenstein (not a great example) and Horowitz and especially Paderewski play them very much like a dance.

How do you actually play these pieces of music. Thoughts

[gyzzzmo]

As far as i know, mazurka's were originally a polish dance-style and Chopin got creative with them on the piano. For me this implies extra freedom in way of execution, as long as you stick to a certain style. Most editions have something like 'adantino' as indication, but thats not what Chopin himself wrote. So play it how YOU like it most, enjoy that freedom you have as a performer.

[davidjosepha]

I've rarely heard mazurkas played in a way that one could easily dance to. It's kinda odd, actually--I hear them often played in a way where you wouldn't even realize they were in 3/4 unless you paid close attention. As gyzzzmo said, it's really about how you want to play it. The fact that professional pianists differ heavily in execution should be indication enough that it's really about how you want to play the piece. I'd say this though--you should become familiar with playing it in time, as a dance, before you start playing it more romantically. You have to be familiar with the default before you can effectively branch out from it.

[gyzzzmo]

Btw, if you want to get some ideas for a 'feeling', i've been to eastern europe quite a few times, and their gypsymusic gave me good ideas on how to perform this type of music. Maybe you should search on youtube yourself