Chopin, Op. 58
Let’s see, well I don’t know enough about classical music to correctly name this piece, but the one I’m listening to right now is performed by Lang Lang and is called Chopin - Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, III. Largo. Ok, well now I feel guilty and I need to sort out this title. Ok, off to Wikipedia.
I’m back. Sonata comes from the Latin, by way of Italy, meaning “to sound” — a piece of music played and not sung. In this case, though, the piece I’m listening to is from a particular and famous “Sonata” by Frédéric Chopin—from what I can gather, he was so good that he gets to capitalize the “s” in his Sonatas. It would be like if the Beatles had released Album 3, I think. B minor, the key, of course. Now here’s the part where I’m a little fuzzy. “Op. 58, III. Largo” — ok: “Op.” abbreviates “opus” meaning “work” and is a numbering scheme. So, much like I have ids in my database for entries here on tumbledry, it’s a bit like that… and just as mine are inconsistent and not necessarily in chronological order, so too are opus numbering schemes. Wrapping things up, “III.” means movement three, and the title for the movement is “Largo”.
And after that dreadful introduction, the point is, there’s a part of this song that has stupefied my brain. Blown my mind. Depending on who is playing, it’s usually about 3 minutes in — I really really like how Lang Lang slows it down, and the modern recording quality make it a huge delight to listen to. I can NOT find it on YouTube, and I am really sorry for that. Ugh. This whole post is kinda pointless if you can’t listen to it. Wait! I have an idea. I edited it down and you can listen to it right here:
Chopin is doing something with the melody, and the corresponding harmonies that I don’t completely get. It’s as though the line is almost resolving, but he teases your ear away from that, substituting something else that leaves you in an uneasy, anticipatory state. Usually, I hate that. All I can think is “RESOLVE”. But here, something in the almost-resolution stretches the melody out, the left hand plays this glorious chord that isn’t at all what you expect… it’s better. I can see why Chopin keeps returning to it — it’s utterly brilliant.