Third time's a charm: Chopin's Sonata in bm, op 58

So maybe he did have to write to other ones before this one... but... it seems to have paid off. An enjoyable, if not somewhat disjoint sonata is one way to describe Chopin's op. 58. Another would be a 'ragtag collection of all his most unruly children' (thanks, Schumann). I think that the truth lies somewhere in between all of these statements.

Chopin, as a master of the smaller forms (the mazurka, the waltz, the ballade, etc.), is forced to reconcile that mastery with his failing in larger forms, such as the sonata. Sonatas two and three get attention for their writing, although it would be hard to call either of them well-organized when comparing to the example of, say, Beethoven himself, who Chopin did not find appealing.

Listening through the Sonata, it is immediately apparent that Chopin does favor the smaller forms, and their influences are strongly felt throughout the work. Themes, when they are developed, are often transformed into new characters, new miniature forms in themselves, that work themselves out in elegance and decoration rather than organization. The biggest unifying factor in these four movements is that they sound like Chopin, which explains Schumann's distaste. Perhaps if he had titled it 'sketches for piano,' or 'four short works' or something other than 'sonata,' those with more purist leanings would have been more satisfied. To the average listener though, the piece works. It is charming and profound, and possesses those qualities that endear so much of Chopin to the listening world.