Opus 33/4
The opening tonic pillar in Chopin’s Mazurka in B Minor (measures 0|1 through 24, followed by a written-out repeat) is classified as irregular because it cadences on the dominant. This is a conventional sort of irregularity, like several we encountered earlier in this chapter. Chopin makes a predictable adjustment during the pillar’s final presentation, where the second phrase concludes with a PAC (measure 200).24 Such a construction justifies the mazurka’s placement within this chapter, though not within this section, which is devoted to idiosyncratic pillars. That categorization results from Chopin’s extraordinary continuation after the HC of measure 24: the a1 pillar is repeated, but with a remarkable, strange, and unexpected turn of events at its cadence.
The lowered supertonic (“Neapolitan”) chord arises naturally in a minor key: a diatonic presentation of I5–6 (here B-D-F♯ to B-D-G) produces a chord that (especially when enhanced by the addition of the pitch F♮ to B-(D)-G, as at 171) inherently leads towards ♮II. In accordance with an unwritten covenant among composers pertaining to the
Example 3.14 Analysis of Mazurka in B Minor (op. 33/4).
Through 482 it will seem to listeners that a routine repeat of the entire opening tonic pillar is being presented. Yet the performer will note, perhaps with some alarm, that the expected goal root F♯ (as in measure 24) is notated as G♭ in measure 48. Chopin indeed fulfills the implications of that spelling: the line ultimately proceeds as G>G♭>F♮, with G♭
serving as a chromatic passing note. Whereas II➔ generally proceeds to V (as in measures 5 and 6), the lowered supertonic’s inherent dominant-emulating tendency generally will not be tapped by composers, since ♮II➔ leads into the abyss: it points towards the tonic’s antipode, in this case F♮. Consequently the meek F♮ at the end of measure 48, which in
fact introduces that antipode, is an astonishing event. It causes the b region, which commences in measure 49, to open in the highly unusual key of ♭I.
Ultimately the mazurka’s tonal course will be corrected: by the end of the b region the conventional F♯ dominant is attained. Yet a half-step depression within tonal space prevails from 483 through measure 63. How is this accomplished? Whereas F♯ is expected in measure 48, F♮ occurs instead (as explained above); and whereas F♮ is expected after what should initially be interpreted as a C chord in measure 63, that chord is enharmonically transformed into an F♯ chord. Observe in 3.14 how ♮II in B Minor is reinterpreted as II in B♭ Major, leading to V in that key. Given that build-up, it is not surprising that the b region robustly asserts a B♭ Major tonic. In fact, a standard progression prevails in that key through measure 63: I is followed by IV, and IV undergoes a 5–6 shift in which the 6-phase E♭-G-C sounds in its evolved state E♮-G♭-B♭-D♭ (= II⇨).
Without the visual clues that Chopin provides in the score, listeners should reasonably expect this chord to resolve to V in B♭ Major. Yet Chopin (as also most readers of this book) certainly had learned that this particular variant of II (often referred to as the
“German” augmented sixth) may be enharmonically transformed into a dominant seventh.
It so happens that this C⇨ chord’s enharmonic equivalent is the very F♯➔ chord that would lead the progression back to B Minor.
Under normal circumstances the mazurka might continue with a2 (concluding the A1 section) followed by B, after which a concluding A2 would offer the final PAC. Yet in this case there are two contrasting a1 models from which the content of a2 might be derived:
either the conventional irregular version of measure 0|1 through 24, which ends on V♯, or instead the key-shifting irregular version of measures 25 through 48, with its half-step depression. By choosing the latter for a2, Chopin arrives at a tonal juncture (at the end of measure 88) not well suited to precede a normative B section (which in this case will begin in the initial tonic’s parallel key, B Major). Rather than grapple with that juxtaposition, Chopin takes the unusual step of inserting a full statement of the b region, thereby putting his tonal house in order before the onset of the B section. Though b content is employed, Chopin achieves the same tonal goal as if a2 had instead proceeded as in the initial a1 model. This is the only instance of a direct succession from a b region to a B section within Chopin’s published mazurkas: the b designation in 3.14 truly deserves the exclamation point that annotates it.
The B section opens in measure 105 with two eight-measure phrases, each proceeding from the tonic to the dominant in the key of B Major. Both phrases are shaped by the traversal of a descending fourth from Kopfton F♯, thereby matching the contour of the original a1, though with alternative harmonic routes between the initial I and goal V.
The next sixteen measures repeat these phrases with modest adjustments and one significant change: the second phrase concludes without achieving its dominant goal. The dominant instead serves as the initial chord of the following phrase, where it supports background , which is followed by ♯ at the tonic resolution. After several repetitions, the passage breaks off at background , supported by V♯, in measure 151. A written-out cadenza that expands the dominant (and recalls content from the preceding measures) transpires during the next seventeen measures.
As mentioned above, the original tonic pillar is constructed in such a way that a PAC may be attained with minimal modification. Yet Chopin’s tonal plot thickened during the initial a1’s repetition: due to the extraordinary C♮<F♮ succession in measures 46–48, listeners no longer can have a clear sense of what the ♮II chord introduced in measure 185 will do: will it proceed to the F♯ dominant, as in the first a1 pillar; or will it instead proceed to F♮, as in the modified a1 and the a2 pillars? The chord becomes a show-stopper:
whereas each of the earlier ♮II chords was prolonged for seven measures, the final one persists for fifteen measures, the latter half of which comprises no more than a solo line alternating between the chord’s fifth and root in the midst of a diminuendo. Will G♮>G♭>F♮ again lead away from the B Minor dominant? No! Aroused afresh, Chopin instead uses C♮, the other of the two pitches he has been dangling before the listener, as the initiation point for a similar descent in half steps: C♮>B>A♯ introduces the B Minor dominant’s leading tone. The and I that conclude the mazurka sound within a single measure (200).
Opus 56/3
Chopin’s Mazurka in C Minor contains one of the most astonishing constructions in his entire oeuvre. To understand it, imagine a keyboard mechanism placed on rollers, so that it may move freely to the left or right, consequently hitting different piano strings and thereby facilitating transpositions. Whereas normally such a mechanism would be in the locked position, imagine a pianist performing a mazurka with it accidentally unlocked while several earthquake tremors occur, moving the keyboard a total of seven times to the right, each resulting in either a half-step or a whole-step shift. Despite these seismic shifts, the performer maintains the integrity of the tonal plan according to what the fingers are doing instead of according to the sounds that the strings are emitting.25 It so happens that these seven seismic shifts add up to twelve half steps, so that, despite the extraordinary sonic output, the mazurka ends in the key in which it began.
The mazurka’s basic tonal plan incorporates an irregular tonic pillar – I II V♮ – during its A1 section and prolongational I II V I progressions in the dominant key during both the A1 and B sections. The chordal roots are displayed in the context of C Minor at the top of 3.15a, with much of the content in that line shaded to indicate where seismic shifts ensue, resulting in alternative sonic output, as displayed below the shaded regions. The A1 section opens with a progression that broadly extends from I to V♮, incorporating an evolved tonic 6-phase chord and a minor supertonic [3.15b]. Chopin proceeds with a written-out repeat, during which a seismic shift raises supertonic D to E♭ in measure 49.
Whereas the minor D chord might have undergone chordal evolution so as to result in a D➔ surge directed towards dominant G, now instead E♭➔ targets “dominant” A♭, which arrives in measure 52. Another seismic shift affects a repetition of that passage: F➔ B♭
occurs in measures 53 through 56. This B♭ chord represents C Minor’s dominant even if by now the seismic activity has moved it three half steps higher. The tonic pillar concludes with a prolongation of this “dominant,” engaging a fifth-progression in the melody during measures 56 through 72 (with the normative D>G dominant span raised to F>B♭). Though at first the chord introduced in measure 57 may seem to be yet another II➔ (a third seismic shift: E♭➔, F➔, F♯➔), the progression ultimately incorporates that chord within the B♭ “dominant” prolongation. Consequently the chord spelled by Chopin as if its root were F♯ functions as a C-rooted chord (initially II⇨ in tonicized B♭ Major, shifting to II➔
during measure 68), as clarified by the modified spelling in 3.15b.
Example 3.15 Mazurka in C Minor (op. 56/3) (a) Tonal content of mm. 2–136; (b)
The key of B♭ Major prevails during most of the B section (from measure 73 until the renewed seismic activity beginning in measure 134). That choice conveniently allows the composition to retain the pitch D as : though normally D would be the fifth of dominant G Minor, here it instead serves as the third of the seismically achieved “dominant” B♭
Major. The ternary B section opens with an x1 region (measures 73 through 88) that pursues the tonicizing I II V I harmonic progression that will be subjected to numerous seismic shifts during the x2 region. (Note how the B♭ tonic extends through the end of measure 77, where elements of its embellishing chord – F and C – and its surging third and minor seventh – D and A♭ – collide.)
The B section continues with a y region that, after adopting the hue of B♭ Minor, leads conventionally via II➔ to the dominant in measure 105 (extended through measure 120). Though a middleground interruption of the melody on typically would be resolved by during the x2 region, the intended D<E♭>C>B♭ melody that is initiated in measure 121 is jolted by repeated seismic shifts that move the goal B♭ up a major sixth to G (in the bass at 1363). Examining the phrase that begins with melodic pitch D at 1291, note how upper-neighbor E♭ is supported by II at 1341. This C-G-E♭ chord might evolve to surging B♭-E♮-D♭ (= II➔) before dominant A♮-F-C (whose C would be within the local melodic descent) arrives. Yet at that very moment a new wave of seismic shifts begins, so that B♭-E♮-D♭ is jolted upwards to C-F♯-E♭ (thereby being distinguished from the preceding diatonic II only by the half-step descent of G to F♯). The dominant’s thus is represented by D – rather than by C – at the end of measure 134. Each of three repetitions of II➔ V coordinates with another whole-step seismic shift, so that V within
the dominant prolongation, represented by an F chord during most of the B section, is raised not only to root G, but also to A♮, B♮, and C♯. Whereas the G♯-B♮-D-F chord at 1362 might initially be interpreted as yet another whole-step shift (as C -E♯-G♯-B♮, functioning as II➔ in G♯), the bass instead descends as G♯[A♭]>G, and therefore the goal I of the dominant-tonicizing progression is achieved. Whereas the “dominant” C♯ chord of 1361 normally would resolve to F♯, one final seismic shift – this time the shift of a half step – leads to goal G, completing the trajectory presented in 3.15a.
The tonic pillar of A1 is doubly irregular: not only does it conclude on V♮, but that V♮
has shifted seismically upwards a minor third. During A2 we expect that such irregularities will be foresworn and that the tonic pillar will conclude regularly – with a PAC on tonic C (to which Chopin applies a Picardy third, E♮, in measure 189). The decisive swerve away from the precedent of A1 occurs at measure 173. The ensuing progression begins as if Chopin intends to pursue a conventional harmonic course: I IV5–6♭ in measures 171 through 176. Yet the chord with bass B♮ in measure 176 eventually evolves into the chord with bass C♭ in measure 180. From that point, the bass moves chromatically downwards to F (at 1871). As 3.15c shows, an idiosyncratic descending circle of fifths that connects IV’s 5-phase F-A♭-C and chromatic 6-phase F-A♭-D♭ chords propels this line.26 This extended IV yields to in measure 188, followed by goal I♮ in measure 189.
The coda, which commences in measure 189, contains a double C<G>C bass
arpeggiation, supporting and . Each half is repeated, as
is conveyed by the measure numbers annotating 3.15c. Chopin’s treatment of ♭ is of special interest. When D♭ occurs below , it at first reverts to D♮ (at 1963) before V♮’s resolution. Yet during the repetition of that segment the wobbly note does not yield to the diatonic pitch: D♭ holds out at 2043. However, during the span from to the D♭
wobble yields to D♮ in both traversals, at 2083 and at 2123.