# Chopin's Greatest Work? (Corrected)



## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

Simply, what is Chopin's crowning achievement or greatest work in your opinion? I've thrown out some big guns but your welcome to vote "other". I've leaned towards the longer works in this poll.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Not a definitive favourite for me in his output, but _Polonaise-Fantaisie_ is the crowning achievement of Chopin, IF we assume that the crowning achievement of an artist is the piece which embraces everything that is great about his whole creation and artistic personality.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I selected the Barcarolle; Op. 28 Preludes would have been my first pick, but it's not included. Why the Cello Sonata is on the list is beyond me (as are most things).


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

Bulldog said:


> I selected the Barcarolle; Op. 28 Preludes would have been my first pick, but it's not included. Why the Cello Sonata is on the list is beyond me (as are most things).


Well I just threw it in there because I do consider it a fantastic work written near the end of his life but I agree it isn't his crowning achievement. I would have included the Preludes but I was curious mainly about individual works, though I guess they could be considered one work.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

There is a general consensus about the 4th Ballade, being a sort of summit of his melodic and harmonic genius as well as a display of his stellar counterpoint.

The Preludes are a cyclical work, i.e. one work, and highly abstract and high art they are.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

I vote for his second piano concerto...please don't lynch me!

If all of his nocturnes or preludes were lumped together, those would steal my vote easily!


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

I do like them thar Op. 28 Preludes. Like the collected Nocturnes even better maybe, but... it's a collection. Somehow I figured that the pros would favor the Op. 25 Etudes. My problem with the Ballades and Scherzi is that when they got old they stayed old.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

This is tough. While the first Ballade is my favorite, I'm reluctant to argue it as "best". 
I'd say his complete Nocturnes are the best of the best


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

My favorites have been mentioned, but I'll throw out a smaller diamond hiding among the...well...other small diamonds, just in case anyone missed it among so many: op. 50 no. 3, one of my favorite mazurkas. 




Should he come back, I also wanted to thank Aramis for his/her mention of Liszt's biography of Chopin on another thread, which I loved (available from Project Gutenberg, should anyone else be of interest).


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## Brad (Mar 27, 2014)

There are few moments in music that drop me straight into paradise, immense happiness. One of them is the beginning of the 4th Ballade...


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

The second nocturne, E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2

It has deeply personal significance for me


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Ballades and Etudes


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I chose the op. 44 Polonaise as up to that point I can't think of a dance-based piece that has as much drama and pungency in equal measure until the appearance of some of Liszt's Verbunkos-influenced Rhapsodies some years later. For a whole body of Chopin's work, I'd probably opt for the Nocturnes.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Blancrocher said:


> My favorites have been mentioned, but I'll throw out a smaller diamond hiding among the...well...other small diamonds, just in case anyone missed it among so many: op. 50 no. 3, one of my favorite mazurkas.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The Mazurka was a form Chopin dipped into comfortably and often, like it was for him a pair of well worn slippers. Because of that, many of these little gems have some of the wildest and most crazily capricious harmonic twists and turns to be found in any of his works, i.e. under pretense of a lively little dance form, some of his very most adventurous stuff.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

My favorite Chopin pieces are the _two Polonaises Op.26_ and the _second Polonaise from the Op.40_.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

fantasy

.............................


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

For me, it's the first ballade.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

His crowning achievement was getting paid to woo so many young women at the piano. Some have criticized him for favouring one hand but I'd like to see you play a prelude whilst unhooking a bra. That takes genius.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Couac Addict said:


> His crowning achievement was getting paid to woo so many young women at the piano. Some have criticized him for favouring one hand but I'd like to see you play a prelude whilst unhooking a bra. That takes genius.


We could use Chopin right now in that discouragingly uneventful "has your piano playing ever wooed anyone?" thread.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

24 Preludes, as far as I´m concerned.


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## mtmailey (Oct 21, 2011)

I would say that his piano waltzes are his best works!!His piano concertos are great also.


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