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Topic: Mazurka Tempo (Read 2607 times)

hohohohi888

Newbie
Posts: 4

So I am just learning a few Chopin mazurkas, and I don't really know what's going on with the tempo. It's not very intuitive, like falling and "sliding" at the same time. Does anyone know good literature on this subject, ie. on how mazurkas should be played? I feel like they are a unique group in the repertoire.

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hardy_practice

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 1587

Re: Mazurka Tempo

Reply #1 on: June 09, 2017, 05:57:50 AM

It's more to do with accent:

'Mazurkas are song-based country dances from the plains of Mazovia, where Warsaw is located; their usual time signature is three-four or three-eight, but Chopin’s mazurkas are so irregular in their rhythm Meyerbeer thought it was two-four and Charles Halle proved to Chopin he had played one in four-four, to which Chopin, laughing, explained this was the national way of doing things.'

from: https://madamepickwickartblog.com/2011/02/chopin-and-the-unpredictable-mazurka/

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B Mus, PGCE, DipABRSM

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