Chopin Mazurkas, Op. 50

Frédéric Chopin wrote his Mazurkas, Op. 50, between 1841 and 1842. After the political events in Poland around 1930, Chopin was inspired to honor the culture of his land by incorporating elements of this traditional dance into his compositions. The result is a blend of folkloric elements and academic procedures. The Op. 50 set of Mazurkas consists of three pieces for solo piano, published in 1842 and dedicated to Leon Szmitkowski. A standard performance of all three mazurkas takes about eleven minutes.