Chopin\u27s First Piano Sonata, op. 4: A Work in a State of Neglect

The first piano sonata in C minor op. 4, written in 1828, is one of the least performed works of Chopin, a piece that I define “in a state of neglect.” A live performance in 2010, celebrating the bicentenary of Chopin’s birth, piqued my interest in this sonata. Despite the attempt to bring it to the attention of the audience, the sonata did not gain any reconsideration. Unfortunately, this piece has been object of prejudiced criticism and lack of investigation from both scholars and performers, who generally label it as an immature work. An in-depth study of the work reveals a different perspective. This sonata does not merely distance itself from other works Chopin composed in the same period, but displays an organic unity and a structural solidity equaling those of the two later piano sonatas. Chopin’s unique ideas are evident throughout the four movements: in the structural peculiarities of the Allegro Maestoso and its contrapuntal writing, the unusual order of the movements, the grace of the Minuet, the 5/4 meter and the fluctuating rhythmic figures of the Larghetto, and the virtuosic Finale. These elements and the overall explosive creativity of the sonata make the piece a first-rate work in Chopin’s catalogue, and it is my wish that Chopin’s first piano sonata will become standard repertoire, gaining the interest of audiences and pianists