It is for him a dream
poem, the "lurid hour that precedes a hurricane" with a
"convulsive shudder at the close." The opening is very
impressive, the nerve-pulp being harassed by the gradually
swelling prelude. There is defiant power in the first theme, and
the constant reference to it betrays the composer's exasperated
mental condition. This tendency to return upon himself, a
tormenting introspection, certainly signifies a grave state. But
consider the musical weight of the work, the recklessly bold
outpourings of a mind almost distraught! There is no greater test
for the poet-pianist than the F sharp minor Polonaise. It is
profoundly ironical--what else means the introduction of that
lovely mazurka, "a flower between two abysses"? This strange
dance is ushered in by two of the most enigmatic pages of Chopin.
The A major intermezzo, with its booming cannons and
reverberating overtones, is not easily defensible on the score of
form, yet it unmistakably fits in the picture. The mazurka is
full of interrogation and emotional nuanciren.
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