Chopin, Fantasie, Op. 49
Artur Bieleki characterizes the Fantasie, Op. 49, as “one of the pinnacles of Chopin’s creative art.” According to Niecks, “Chopin’s genius had now reached the most perfect stage of its development, radiating with all the intensity of which its nature was capable.” The Fantasie begins with a mysterious march-like preamble, followed by an astonishing free-form exposition. The middle section consists of a beautiful chorale, which abruptly gives way to a recapitulation and a slight wisp of a coda. The music is wayward and powerful. The performance is by Hannah:
fantasie.mp3