Pollini plays Chopin Sonata No.2 in B flat Minor, Op.35 - 1. Grave - Doppio movimento

One of the most beautiful pearls in the history of music.

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Piano Sonata No. 2 (Chopin)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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

The sonata consists of four movements. 1. Grave; Doppio movimento
2. Scherzo
3. Marche funèbre: Lento
4. Finale: Presto

The first movement features a stormy opening theme and a gently lyrical second theme. The second movement is a virtuoso scherzo with a more relaxed melodic central section. The third movement begins and ends with the celebrated funeral march in B flat minor which gives the sonata its nickname, but has a calm interlude in D flat major. The finale contains a whirlwind of unison notes with unremitting (not a single rest or chord until the final bars) unvarying tempo or dynamics (changes of volume); James Huneker, in his introduction to the American version of Mikuli edition of the Sonatas, quotes Chopin as saying "The left hand unisono with the right hand are gossiping after the March". Others[weasel words] have remarked that the fourth movement is "wind howling around the gravestones".[citation needed]

The Sonata 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." (See Schirmer's modern reprint of the Mikuli edition)

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• Pollini plays Chopin Sonata No 2
• Op 35 1 Grave Doppio movimento

[gisuona]

One of the most beautiful pearls in the history of music.

Yes.

[noeeeeeeeeeee]

this is so beautiful and breath-taking

[shishirth]

Chopin can be so incredibly heartbreaking.....

[GarethLewisMusic]

Its so classic Chopin, only he can pull off such mad modulations and chord progressions!

[fmorgana]

A wonderful performance! (BTW the repeat sign at "Doppio movimento" originated with the engraver of the German first edition--in other words, the exposition should be repeated from "Grave.")

[MozartK365]

this sonata, in Pollini's fingers, speak so deeply into my heart, this is the best sonata by any romantic era composer, better than Liszt's b minor sonata or Brahms' f minor sonata

[spoon149]

@afertyus1000 i would give my fingers to be able to play this

[raskolnikovfan]

Whenever I listen to this piece, and I so so very often, I am truly fascinated by the immense power and energy revealed between 5:00 and 5:20.

[afertyus1000]

@TheWanderingNight yes those are beautiful bars