Chopin – Mazurka in A minor B 134

Frédéric Chopin wrote his Mazurka in A minor, B. 134, in 1840. It was published in 1841, and later is appeared as part of Six Morceaux de salon.

Over the years 1825–1849, Frédéric Chopin wrote at least 59 mazurkas for piano, based on the traditional Polish dance:
• 58 have been published
o 45 during Chopin’s lifetime, of which 41 have opus numbers
o 13 posthumously, of which 8 have posthumous opus numbers
• 11 further mazurkas are known whose manuscripts are either in private hands (2) or untraced (at least 9).
The serial numbering of the 58 published mazurkas normally goes only up to 51. The remaining 7 are referred to by their key or catalogue number.
Chopin’s composition of these mazurkas signaled new ideas of nationalism.

Chopin based his mazurkas on the traditional Polish folk dance, also called the mazurka (or “mazur” in Polish). However, while he used the traditional mazurka as his model, he was able to transform his mazurkas into an entirely new genre, one that became known as a “Chopin genre”.
Chopin started composing his mazurkas in 1825, and continued composing them until 1849, the year of his death. The number of mazurkas composed in each year varies, but he was steadily writing them throughout this time period.

Chopin – Mazurka in A minor B 134

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