Chopin's Funeral March in Bb....on purpose?

[Beyond Within]

I am learning this piece on piano...I noticed that the main chords are almost entirely on the black keys (due to many accidentals in the key signature). Has it ever been mentioned if this was intentional?

*edit - Bb minor

[This message has been edited by Beyond Within (edited February 21, 2004).]

[Chris]

Originally posted by Beyond Within:
I am learning this piece on piano...I noticed that the main chords are almost entirely on the black keys (due to many accidentals in the key signature). Has it ever been mentioned if this was intentional?

*edit - Bb minor

[This message has been edited by Beyond Within (edited February 21, 2004).]

No, it was "accidental."

Ah thank you.

Seriously though, what do you mean? Are you asking if he composed the piece to use mainly black keys because it was a "funeral" march? Black as in death?

I suppose it's possible. I never read anything about it one way or the other. But I think it is more likely that his motive for the black keys was the same as it usually was - the hands rest naturally on the black keys, because of the longer second, third and fourth fingers. Chopin was especially aware of this, and his music reflects it.

[Beyond Within]

Thanks for the reply. I am not very familiar with Chopin on piano (since I havent been playing that long). So this kind of information is very new to me.

Yes, I was wondering if playing predominatly on the black keys was meant to be "symbolic" somehow.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Chris:
But I think it is more likely that his motive for the black keys was the same as it usually was - the hands rest naturally on the black keys, because of the longer second, third and fourth fingers. Chopin was especially aware of this, and his music reflects it.

Yes and the first scale he would teach a beginner was B major (as it lies naturally under the hand) rather than the usual C. This sonata has a remarkable finale, quite the weirdest thing Chopin wrote! As a composer who wrote primarily for the piano the choice of key must have been for technical reasons. Bb minor is certainly rarely used.

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'Man know thyself'