Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat major, Op. 61

The "Polonaise-Fantaisie" is among Chopin's last great piano works, and is a testament to his mastery and maturity. The out-of-the-ordinary title betrays the fact that Chopin was uncertain about which genre to assign it to. While the typical rhythm and noble character of the Polonaise repeatedly shine through the notes, the Polonaise-Fantaisie is characterized above all by a great freedom in its thematic and formal aspects. The work brushes against a great variety of keys, moods and motifs, and leads into a grandiose closing apotheosis as if at the end of a long journey.