🇷🇺Mily Alekseyevich Balakirev ： Mazurka No.2 in cis-moll second version

Balakirev’s Mazurka No. 2 is built on the lively motion of a dance in triple meter, while allowing its lyrical melodies and delicate ornamentation to come to the fore. A key point of interest is the contrast between passages that spring lightly forward and others that invite the listener to savor the melody at a calmer pace; these rhythmic changes give the music its shape. In performance, the characteristic mazurka accents should not be stressed mechanically, but shaped with a flexible lift within the flow of the beat. The melody should emerge clearly above inner voices and accompaniment, while restrained pedaling helps preserve both the dance’s lightness and its lyrical character.