Intended Audience
St. Mary's College of Maryland Musician-in-Residence Brian Ganz will continue his popular PianoTalk series with a performance of two rarely heard works written by an 18-year-old Fryderyk Chopin. Ganz will perform solo versions of the Fantasy on Polish Airs, Op. 13, and the Rondeau à la Krakowiak, both of which were composed originally for piano and orchestra. The concert will take place at 12 noon on April 5 in St. Mary's Hall on the College campus.
"These 2 works are absolutely delightful examples of Chopin's amazing youthful genius," pianist Ganz said. "He was only 18 years old when he composed both of them, so it's fun to be playing works for first-year college students composed by someone their age. They are full of pianistic brilliance and virtuosity, but also an amazing amount of beauty."
The Fantasy on Polish Airs features variations on a lovely Polish folk song "The Moon had Set; The Dogs were Asleep." This had been the favorite folk song of Chopin's mother, who often sang it to her children when they were young. "This is one of the sweetest melodies you will ever hear. It's easy to see why Chopin's mother fell in love with it, and why he used it so tenderly in the Fantasy on Polish Airs." A Krakowiak is a Polish folk dance. Chopin himself was a good dancer, and Polish dances are featured regularly in his works. "But the Krakowiak is a dance that inspired only a relative few of his works," Ganz continued. "We hear it in the last movement of his First Piano Concerto, and we hear it in this wonderful work full of youthful vigor. The 18-year-old Chopin was especially pleased with this piece, and we hear that confidence throughout the piece."
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