The composition marks Chopin’s ‘late-last’ style and is noted for its intricate form and complex harmonies. The fantaisie seems to consciously flow from one idea into another, while the polonaise appears nocturne-like. Chopin’s flexible use of form, sophisticated part writing and harmony perhaps perplexed people at the time, so the work was slow to gain favour. Franz Liszt went so far to claim that the piece sounds like ‘somebody caught in an ambush surrounded on all sides.’ Nonetheless, today the Polonaise-Fantaisie is celebrated for being a wonderful creation. It exhibits what so many of us love about Chopin’s music: a poetic narrative, formed of rich harmonies and sublime melodies, full of intense emotion and expression. The music is full of drama, especially towards the end where tension builds up to an explosive finish, before the reflective returns.

Composed in 1836, the piece occasionally has been featured in popular culture, such as in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me.

The shimmering study is the first in a set of 12, composed in 1836. It consists of entirely rapid arpeggios and harmonic modulations in and around Ab major. While the left hand accompanies, the right hand exhibits a tuneful melody hidden within sextuplets and occasional countermelodies in the inner parts. The challenge of this piece is to play accompanying rapid arpeggios continuously, at a fast speed, at a quieter dynamic than the leaping melody line and countermelodies. Great stamina is needed! However, Chopin’s études appear more than a technical exercise. They have a distinct poetic musical character and emotional depth. Composer Robert Schumann praised the work, calling it ‘a poem rather than a study’, coining the nickname ‘Aeolian Harp’. Chopin lecturer Kleczyński names the piece ‘The Shepard Boy’, explaining ‘Chopin directed his pupils to imagine a Shepheard boy taking refuge in a grotto to avoid a storm, playing the melody on his flute.’

A compositional masterpiece, completed in Paris, in 1842. It is the last piece in a set of four and considered the most technically challenging. Chopin effectively combines the use of sonata and variation form. The piece starts with a tranquil bell like opening, before the waltz begins with a lyrical melody. Further variations exhibit embellishment, counter-melodies, counterpoint, and a nocturne-like fioritura. At the turbulent coda, the music takes off at a fast tempo and tensions heighten. The music ends with four strong chords. As pianist John Ogdon states: ‘the most exalted, intense and sublimely powerful of all Chopin’s compositions… It is unbelievable that it lasts only twelve minutes, for it contains the experience of a lifetime.’