Podcast No. 73
From the Periphery to the Center (53.63MB)
Works for violin and piano played by violinist Nick Kendall and pianists Jonathan Biss, Gleb Ivanov, and Robert Koenig.

•Chopin: Polonaise-Fantasy in A-flat Major, Op. 61
•Chopin: Nocturne-Waltz-Scherzo
•Grieg: Violin Sonata in C minor, Op. 45

Frederic Chopin and Edvard Grieg came from the periphery of Europe to become two of the most celebrated 19th century composers. Chopin was born in Poland but spent most of his life in Paris.  After the Polish uprising against the Russian empire in 1830, he realized that he could use his music to raise awareness of Polish culture. The polonaise - the quintessential Polish dance form - thus played an important role in his compositions. His Polonaise-Fantasy incorporates the polonaise’s martial rhythm while maintaining an organic spontaneity and sustained intensity. An early Nocturne, Waltz, and Scherzo illustrate Chopin’s ability to compose emotional and innovative pieces in a range of genres. Committed to being a Norwegian nationalist composer, Grieg drew on a range of influences, from the intense romanticism of Schumann to the angular rhythms and unusual intervals of Norwegian folk song. His Violin Sonata in C minor displays Grieg’s Scandinavian roots alongside the wider aesthetic influences that affected his music.