From Chopin to Tansman

The concert opens with Chopin's youthful Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C major, Op. 3, composed when he was just nineteen. Though it was written as a gift for a cellist friend, it is more than just a brilliant gesture of friendship. After a lyrical and slightly suspended introduction, the polonaise enters with verve and elegance. From the start, it's clear that for Chopin, the cello wasn't an accompaniment-it was a conversational partner.

Much later, near the end of his life, Chopin wrote the Sonata in G minor, Op. 65. It was his last work published during his lifetime and his only chamber sonata. The form is irregular, and the themes don't unfold according to conventional patterns. Yet there is no chaos. On the contrary, this is coherent, intentional music, deeply rooted in the relationship between two voices. Listeners familiar with Chopin's piano music will be surprised by the extent to which a different approach to texture, sound, and musical narrative is explored.