| Polonaises Op. 40 | |
|---|---|
| byFrédéric Chopin | |
 Chopin at the time of this composition | |
| Full title | Polonaise in A major, Op. 40 |
| Other name | Military Polonaise (No. 1) |
| Composed | 1838 |
The twinOp. 40Polonaises of thePolonaise in A major, Op. 40, No. 1 (nicknamed theMilitary Polonaise) and thePolonaise in C minor, Op. 40, No. 2 were composed byFrédéric Chopin in 1838. The one in A major he originally intended to dedicate toTytus Woyciechowski, but in the end Chopin placedJulian Fontana’s name as the dedicatee on both works.[1][2]
Arthur Rubinstein remarked that the Polonaise in A major is the symbol of Polish glory, whilst the Polonaise in C minor is the symbol of Polish tragedy.[3]
This piece is in expanded ternary form with the structure (A–A–B–A-B–A)(C–C–D–C-D–C)(A–B–A), where the A and B sections and C and D sections are repeated as a group, and the original theme returning at the end without repeats.
The beginning opens with anA major chord and continues in a typical polonaise rhythm. The key then changes intoD major in the middle of the polonaise for atrio section, after which the opening is repeated with no changes except disregarding the repeat signs. The piece is almost entirely playedforte or louder.
During the September 1939 German invasion of Poland at the outset of World War II,Polskie Radio broadcast this piece daily as nationalistic protest, and to rally the Polish people.
The beginning of this piece is used as theinterval signal forPolskie Radio.
It is used in the opening and closing credits of the film classicTo Be or Not to Be (1942). This piece is played in the famous scene in the Polish filmAshes and Diamonds at the end of an all-night party celebrating the end of the war. In Season 3, episode 2 ofRectify, the closing credits roll to the A major Polonaise after Teddy is shown stalking Tawny, his estranged wife.
The second polonaise's main theme, a contrast to the majestic and joyful one in the first, features an even rhythm of quaver chords in the right hand starting withC minor, and a mournful melody played in octaves by the left, with occasional lines played by the right hand. It is interspersed with a more serene theme, before switching to the trio section inA♭ major, which incorporates typical polonaise rhythms. The main theme is then repeated but largely abridged, with an added dramatic melody in the right hand.
According to the analysis of Zdzisław Jachimecki,[4] the thematic material of this polonaise may originate from Chopin's tragic rethinking ofKarol Kurpiński's so-called "coronation" polonaise 'Witaj królu polskiej ziemi' (Polish: 'Hail the king of Polish land'), composed on occasion of the ascension to power of the Russian emperorNicholas I, soon-to-be crowned King of Poland (in Warsaw in 1829).
In Season 3 Episode 20 ofFuturama, Bender plays the C minor Polonaise on a miniature piano while floating through space.
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