Statkowski, Roman: Mazurkas

The four piano miniatures contained in Statkowski’s opus 24 display clear references to Polish traditional music, in rhythms and gestures drawn from the mazur, kujawiak and oberek dances on which the mazurka is based. In terms of formal structure, the composer prefers the symmetry typical of the dance, conveying its rhythmic patterns. Yet there are also sections in which a phrase does not coincide exactly with the scheme determined by the bar line, which weakens the dance character and shifts the accent towards a freer phrasing. Like Chopin, Statkowski draws on the forms of Polish song and traditional dance.