Waltzes by F. Chopin

In the first decades of the 19th century, the waltz became extremely widespread in all countries and cities of Europe as an everyday dance. The waltz sounded in high artistic expression already in the works of Schubert and Weber. Nevertheless, in the waltzes of the composers of the beginning of the century, the dependence on everyday dance images and forms is still very significant. In the evolution of the waltz, the same process is observed that occurred with many everyday dances (for example, with the minuet in the 18th century). Gradually, the waltz becomes an independent form of artistic creativity and begins to penetrate into symphonic literature. In Berlioz's Fantastic Symphony, written in 1830, the waltz already occupies an entire part of the symphony. In Russian music, the rich and interesting development of the waltz becomes especially noticeable from the middle of the 19th century. The waltz achieves high poeticization in the field of vocal lyrics; The seal of the spiritualization of this everyday dance lies on Glinka's outstanding symphonic work "Waltz-Fantasy". The waltz in Tchaikovsky's music received a diverse emotional and psychological interpretation. In the work of Chopin, the waltz is a solo piano piece, in which the everyday roots and applied significance of this genre are obscured. The very rhythm of the waltz, its whirling movement, now sliding, airy, now whirling, flying, receives poetic realization. Chopin's waltzes, like his etudes, develop into concert pieces, inspired and deep, elegant and brilliant, in which the entire arsenal of modern technique and virtuoso pianism is skillfully used. Chopin's seventeen waltzes are diverse and different in content and means of expression. Among them there are dreamy, with a singing, wide-breathing melody, such as, for example, a-moll, op. 34 or f-moll, op. 70; there are waltzes of a variety-virtuoso type, spectacular, temperamental, like the “big brilliant waltz” Es-dur, op. 18 or As-dur, op. 42. Waltz cis-moll, op. 64 reveals the subtle poetry of Chopin's mournful and melancholy images. The poetry of the waltz element, raised by Chopin, opened up inexhaustible prospects for the development of this genre, which was comprehensively developed by Liszt, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Scriabin, and Soviet composers.