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II. Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op. 66
by Frederic Chopin
Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu in C sharp minor is a technically difficult but also very fun piece to play, and it's easy to see why it's among Chopin's most famous and popular works. It was composed around 1834 but published only after the composer’s death, contrary to his express wish that all unpublished works and sketches should be burned. The version that is heard most often was prepared from Chopin’s sketches by his friend Julian Fontana.
It is a relatively short piece in ABA form and has the shape of a reprise miniature, like the reverse of a form which is frequent in the nocturnes. The A section has a sweeping melody of sixteenth notes running up and down the keyboard, accompanied by triplet arpeggios in the left hand. It's very fast and almost a little chaotic, while the softer middle section with its wonderful cantilena provides a good overall balance to the piece. The coda begins passionately, but calms down little by little, reintroducing the theme from the middle section in the left hand. The work ends peacefully.
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