Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-minor, Op. 58, iii. Largo

Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-minor, Op. 58, iii. Largo

The second I started working on this movement it was hard for me not to remember the extent to which Chopin was inspired by the music of Bellini, and the soulful and plaintive nature of this entire Largo. Throughout the first portion of it, it almost seems as if words could have given to the melody in order to create a song. Chopin, just before his death, asked to hear an aria by Bellini, which is certainly a testimony to the power of the Italian composer’s influence.

What I like most about this movement is the fact that it is filled with so much wonderful melody, a testimony to an element of composition both composers considered essential.  When I play this I like to imagine slow, time-lapse photography of a rose going from a bud to a full blossom, or a beautiful ballerina en pointe, slowing moving across a stage.  Every note here is full of wonderful meaning and promise as the theme gets developed over the course of the entire movement.

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