Mazurka
Polish dance in triple time with the accent on the second or third beat.
What it means
The mazurka is a Polish dance in triple time, usually at a moderate to lively tempo. Its hallmark is the accent on the second or third beat instead of the first, often combined with dotted rhythms and grace notes. This makes it sound slightly displaced and energetic.
The name goes back to the region of Masovia (Mazowsze). The mazurka belongs to a group of Polish folk dances that also includes the slower kujawiak and the fast oberek.
Musical use
In the 19th century the mazurka spread across Europe as a ballroom dance. Frédéric Chopin made it an art form: he wrote more than fifty mazurkas for piano, intended for listening rather than dancing, which combine folk-like melody with refined harmony. Karol Szymanowski and other Polish composers also took up the form.
The mazurka should be distinguished from the waltz, whose accent falls on the first beat, and from the polonaise, which is a ceremonial processional dance.
Performance practice
Practise the shifted accent deliberately: stress the second or third beat without neglecting the first, and play dotted rhythms with spring. A slight rubato is typical of Chopin's mazurkas but must not dissolve the dance pulse.