Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat Minor (Chopin)

Frédéric Chopin composed his Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 ("Funeral March") mainly in 1839 at Nohant near Chateauroux in France, although the funeral march third movement had been composed as early as 1837.

Related Topics:
Frédéric Chopin - Piano Sonata - Nohant - Chateauroux - France

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The sonata consists of four movements.

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• Grave; Doppio movimento
• Scherzo
• Marche funèbre: Lento
• Finale: Presto

The first movement features a stormy opening theme and a gently lyrical second theme. The second contains a calmer, more relaxed melodic theme. The third movement is the funeral march which gives the sonata its nickname. The finale contains a whirlwind of notes; Chopin referred to it as a gossip between hands on the piano.

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The Sonata may have been influenced by the struggle for freedom in Poland. It confused contemporary critics who found it lacked cohesion. Robert Schumann suggested that Chopin had in this sonata "simply bound together four of his most unruly children."

Related Topics:
Poland - Robert Schumann

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The Imperial March, written by John Williams as the leitmotif of Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies, is heavily influenced by the funeral march movement.

Related Topics:
The Imperial March - John Williams - Leitmotif - Darth Vader - Star Wars

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