Chopin—Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-Flat Major, Op. 61 | A Minor Maestro

Hello everyone. This video is special to me, and for a few reasons. The Polonaise-Fantaisie is a masterpiece. From the magical arpeggios in the introduction (which return!) to the beautiful middle section, to the astounding coda, this sprawling fantasy is filled with wonder. But a closer inspection will reveal how tightly it is constructed—take, for example, how the rhythmic device at 5:09 is reused at 8:05, though the context is transformed completely. Perhaps most striking is the coda, which consists of an apotheosis of the two main themes. The first at 11:07 is rather obvious, as it is just the main theme, but the second is less so. The triumphant turn taken at 11:33 is taken straight from the emotional core of the piece, at 6:40! This work has so much depth that it takes a lot to do it justice. This has easily been the most difficult piece I have tackled thus far, and there are so many different possible interpretations. Hopefully, you get something out of mine. I, personally, am a fan of Richter's. This was also the last recording I took before heading off to college, so in a way it marks the end of an era. I will continue to post, though it may be a little less frequent as I must attend to my studies, and the setting will look different! And finally, Happy Birthday Mom!