Beethoven’s two Rondos of 1796 and 1800 were published only in 1819. Each is typical of “Classical” music: elegant and attentive to form, ABACABA. Each has strong chromatic writing and virtuoso passages, and shows B’s capacity for improvisation.
The first three mvmts of the (1903) Suite No. 2 in D Major, Op. 10 of Georges Enescu, the great Romanian violinist, pianist, composer and conductor - Toccata, Sarabande and Pavane - were meant to be competition pieces. He wants the Toccata to sound like bells. The second mvmt Sarabande imitates a Spanish serenade, especially strumming guitars. The Pavane asks the piano to maintain a “gently rocking” pace. Like folk music, the piano is asked to reach for “flute” tones. The last mvmt, Bouree, has a majestic, fanfare quality, with parallel thirds imitating a trumpet call. The writing becomes at the end like a small orchestra.
Chopin’s 1841 Third Ballade in A-flat Major follows a poem by Adam Mickiewicz, “Undine.” The opening bars traverse three keyboard octaves. The Ballade is in arch form: ABACBA-coda, with two impulses, a song and a dance. Repeated C’s and A-flat’s dominate. The music moves far afield, to F Minor and C-sharp Minor to a sturdy, A-flat Major conclusion. Chopin’s 1844 Nocturne in E-flat, marked Lento sostenuto, is in 12/8 time, with a flowing melody throughout, and no secondary tune. The mood is one of sustained dreaming. Chopin’s 1832 Introduction and Rondo in E-flat begins with passion in C Minor, then moves into a joyful E-Flat Major. The 1842 “Heroic” Polonaise contains a famous middle section which suggests a resurgence of Polish cavalry and militant, national pride. It became a symbol of the various uprisings of 1848. The piece demands trills from weak fingers, huge chromatic leaps, fast scales and arpeggios, and the stamina to maintain the tension without sag.