Polonaise, Op. 53
Evgeny Kissin, piano
The Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 (nicknamed Heroic, or Heroique) for solo piano was written by Frédéric Chopin in 1842. This masterpiece is one of Chopin’s most popular compositions and has always been a favorite of the classical piano repertoire. The piece requires exceptional pianistic skills and requires virtuosity to be played at an appropriate level of quality. Although the piece is labeled as a polonaise, it has little to do with the typical polonaise style. It presents two sections with a polonaise rhythm, but most of it has no particular polonaise attribute. It has been said that Chopin had composed the piece having a free and powerful Poland in mind, which may have led him to label it as a polonaise. Another possibility is that this Polonaise is closely related to the Polonaise in A major, Op. 40, No. 1, known as the Military Polonaise, which, unlike Op. 53, is a true polonaise.
Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849)