Chopin, Mazurka in A minor "Notre Temps", KK IIb/4, B.134 (Artur Rubinstein)

Описание: Frédéric Chopin's Mazurka in A minor "Notre Temps (Our Time)", KK IIb/4, B.134, with a theme-and-structure analysis and synchronized sheet music (score)
Performance: Artur Rubinstein (piano), 1965/12/27-30, 1966/01/03 Stereo, Webster Hall, New York City
Analysis, Score Editing, Synch: ScoreMan


OVERVIEW

Chopin’s Mazurka in A minor, often nicknamed “Notre Temps”, is a short but strikingly modern-feeling piece among his mazurkas.
It immediately stands out for its dark, restless character and its unusually sharp, almost nervous energy.
Rather than evoking a rustic dance atmosphere, the music feels tense, fragmented, and inward-looking, as if it were reflecting the unsettled spirit of its time rather than an idealized image of Polish folk life.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

This mazurka belongs to Chopin’s late period and was written in the 1840s, when his health was declining and his emotional world had grown increasingly complex.
The subtitle “Notre Temps,” meaning “Our Time,” is not Chopin’s own title in a strict sense, but it reflects how strongly the piece seemed to resonate with the mood of the age.
Chopin was living in exile in Paris, deeply conscious of political upheaval, personal loss, and cultural displacement.
In this context, the mazurka feels less like a nostalgic dance and more like a commentary on contemporary anxiety and unease.

MUSICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Musically, this piece pushes the mazurka form in an unusually bold direction.
The rhythm is unstable and sharply accented, the harmonies are biting and sometimes deliberately awkward, and the melodic lines feel abrupt rather than lyrical.
Chopin uses silence, sudden turns, and stark contrasts to create a sense of tension that rarely resolves comfortably.
In this way, the mazurka sounds almost prophetic, anticipating later musical languages that emphasize fragmentation, irony, and psychological intensity rather than graceful continuity.



   • J.S.Bach's Masterpieces  
   • J.S.Bach - 6 Cello Suites  

   • D.Scarlatti - Keyboard Sonatas  

   • Mozart - 18 Piano Sonatas  

   • L. v. Beethoven's Masterpieces  
   • L. v. Beethoven - 9 Symphonies  
   • L. v. Beethoven - Piano Sonatas  

   • F. Schubert - Piano Sonatas  

   • F. Chopin's Masterpieces  
   • F. Chopin - 21 Mazurkas  
   • F. Chopin - 19 Polonaises  
   • F. Chopin - 22 Nocturnes  
   • F. Chopin - 19 Waltzes  

   • R. Schumann's Masterpieces  

   • F. Liszt's Masterpieces  

   • J. Brahms's Masterpieces  

   • P. I. Tchaikovsky's Masterpieces  

   • C. Debussy's Masterpieces  

   • M. Ravel's Masterpieces  

   • S. Prokofiev's Masterpieces  
   • S. Prokofiev - Piano Sonatas  

   • Piano Sonata Collection  
   • Piano Concerto Collection  
   • Violin Concerto Collection  
   • Suite Collection