Frédéric Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, composed in 1834, belongs to his Op. 66. Written in a basic A-B-A-Coda form, it is A solo piano composition. The piece is dedicated to his friend Julian Fontana, who published the work despite Chopin's protests. The piece bears many similarities to the third Movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
History edit
Chopin wrote four Impromptus (a French word roughly translated to mean "improvisation"). Only this last one bears the word "Fantaisie to the title, suggesting a rhapsodial nature. Chopin had requested that this, among other, works were to be destroyed after his death. However, his wishes were denied, and the piece was published.
Music edit
The tempo indication of this piece is "Allegro agitato", where a minim is equal to 84 beats per minute.
The piece begins with a sustained dominant octave, spanning two measures. Then the left hand begins a rapid two-bar arpeggio played in triplets, which outlines the dominant chord spanning a tenth over a diminuendo. The right hand then enters with a weaving figure, playing over the dominant and tonic chords in each measure. The right hand figures are in semiquavers, while the left hand continues the triplet pattern. A two-measure change to the second and fifth chords leads back into the tonic. Here, the music gets more agitated and introduces a dominant seventh chord, as well as a third. Later, the major fifth leads into the second with a diminished sixth. A major seventh follows, and a major fifth leads back into the opening. The right hand line rises and crescendos into a chromatic scale over a tonic and a fourth chord with an augmented root. The tonic is then firmly accented, and the fifth is used to lead into a two-measure Largo pesante phrase. This leads into the melodic middle section in the chromatic key of D-flat Major.