Even among Chopin's late works, the Op.58 stands out as a work whose greatness is particularly hard to parse. It is characterised, especially in the first movement, by contrapuntal complexity, subtle motivic linkages that derive from the shape of melodic lines (see how 0:50 anticipates 1:33), and harmonic density; in the hands of a pianist whose grasp of its architecture is anything less than perfect it comes across as oddly unproportioned. Chopin makes some strikingly bold structural decisions in the work: in the first movement's recapitulation, for example, Chopin nearly leaves out the first theme entirely, because it has been so aggressively explored in the development section (in passages that come close to being the best Chopin ever wrote), and because it resolves the long-term instability that the first theme group sets up. It is this densely argued thematicism, this breaking-down and reassembling of the theme's motivic elements, that defeats many pianists. This sonata also features, in its last two movements, some of Chopin's most inspired textures: the third movement is a nocturne that seems sits right up there with the Arietta of B.’s Op.111 as an archetype of the transcendental or spiritual in music; and the fourth is a hugely exuberant sonata-rondo, exhaled in a single breath, whose great technical challenges are almost easy to ignore because the whole movement sounds so damn good.
MVT I – Allegro Maestoso
EXPOSITION
00:00 – Theme Group 1, Theme 1 (Note that the contour of the first two bars, including the upbeat, is motivically linked to the Theme Group 2, Theme 1)
00:37 – TG1, T2
00:50 – TG1, T3. Canonically anticipating TG2, T1
01:10 – TG1, T4, cadential theme
01:33 – TG2, T1
02:20 – TG2, T2
02:52 – TG2, T3
03:23 – TG2, T4, cadential theme (Note motif in bass at 4:11, “closing motif”)
DEVELOPMENT
04:16 – Development of closing motif + TG1, T1. Note extensive use of counterpoint
04:56 – Sequential treatment of TG1, T1
05:09 – TG2, T2 in Db, then Eb
05:57 – Spare, imitative contrapuntal treatment of TG2, T2, building in intensity
06:21 – TG2, T4
RECAPUTILATION
06:41 – TG2(!), in B. Note how Chopin changes numerous rhythmic/melodic details throughout the recap
09:15 – Codetta
MVT II, Scherzo: Molto vivace
09:41 – Scherzo (Note the structural link between with the trio in the melodic outline in RH of the first two bars of the scherzo – it mirrors the top voice of the trio)
10:17 – Trio
11:51 – Scherzo
MVT III, Largo
12:28 – Introduction
12:52 – A Section
14:13 – Transition
14:56 – B Section. A beautiful section, improvisation-like, intricately voiced, with a theme like a plagal embrace built around the notes of the tonic triad
18:31 – Transition
19:22 – A Section, with decoration
20:02 – Transition
20:38 – Coda
MVT IV, Finale: Presto ma non tanto
21:37 – Introduction
21:46 – A Section [triplets]. Note that the opening melody’s movement from the F# to D is based on contour of m.2-3 in Mvt 1
22:29 – B/1 Section
22:53 – B/2 Section
23:16 – A Section [4/3 polythythm]
24:02 – B/1 Section. Note the use of the enharmonic D#/Eb switch, already used extensively in the Scherzo
24:27 – B/2 Section, with a dramatic extension at 24:42 to move back into B min
25:07 – A Section [Semiquavers]. Note how the melody is now unadorned, for a more brutal, direct presentation
25:58 – Coda
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