Chopin: Sonata No.3 in B Minor, Op.58 (Fialkowska, Kissin)

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 and densely argued thematicism is anything less than perfect it comes across as oddly unproportioned. Chopin makes some 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. This sonata also features, in its last two movements, some of Chopin's most inspired textures: the third movement is a nocturne that sits right up there with the Arietta of B.’s Op.111 as an archetype of the transcendental/spiritual in music; and the fourth is a huge, 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 MaestosoEXPOSITION00:00 – 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, T200:50 – TG1, T3. Canonically anticipating TG2, T101:10 – TG1, T4, cadential theme01:33 – TG2, T102:20 – TG2, T202:52 – TG2, T303:23 – TG2, T4, cadential theme (Note motif in bass at 4:11, “closing motif”)DEVELOPMENT04:16 – Development of closing motif + TG1, T1. Note extensive use of counterpoint04:56 – Sequential treatment of TG1, T105:09 – TG2, T2 in Db, then Eb05:57 – Spare, imitative contrapuntal treatment of TG2, T2, building in intensity06:21 – TG1, T4RECAPUTILATION06:41 – TG2(!), in B. Note how Chopin changes numerous rhythmic/melodic details throughout the recap09:15 – CodettaMVT II, Scherzo: Molto vivace09:41 – 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 – Trio11:51 – ScherzoMVT III, Largo12:28 – Introduction12:52 – A Section14:13 – Transition14:56 – B Section. A beautiful section, improvisation-like, intricately voiced, with a theme like a plagal embrace built around the notes of the tonic triad18:31 – Transition19:22 – A Section, with decoration20:02 – Transition20:38 – CodaMVT IV, Finale: Presto ma non tanto21:37 – Introduction21:46 – 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 122:29 – B/1 Section22:53 – B/2 Section23:16 – A Section [4/3 polythythm]24:02 – B/1 Section. Note the use of the enharmonic D#/Eb switch, already used extensively in the Scherzo24:27 – B/2 Section, with a dramatic extension at 24:42 to move back into B min25:07 – A Section [Semiquavers]. Note how the melody is now unadorned, for a more brutal, direct presentation25:58 – Coda