the ancient ones on account
of their less original and less cantabile form. There are two
kinds of mazureks: one, of which the first portion is always
in minor and the second in major, has a romance-like
colouring, it is made to be sung, in Polish one says "to be
heard" (do sludninin); the other serves as an accompaniment to
a dance, of which the figures are multiplied passes and
coiuluiles. Its movement is in time, and yet less quick than
the waltz. The motive is in dotted notes, which must be
executed with energy and warmth, but not without a certain
dignity.

Now the mazurka is generally written in 3/4-time; Chopin's are all
written thus. The dotted rhythmical motive alluded to by Sowinski is
this, or similar to this--

[Another rhythm diagram: 1/8 dot 1/16 1/4 1/4 | 1/8 dot 1/16 1/2]

But the dotted notes are by no means de rigueur. As motives like the
following--

[Another rhythm diagram: 1/4 1/2 | 1/8 1/8 1/4 1/4 | triplet 1/4 1/4 |
triple 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8]

are of frequent occurrence, I would propose a more comprehensive
definition--namely, that the first part of the bar consists mostly of
quicker notes than the latter part. But even this more comprehensive
definition does not comprehend all; it is a rule which has many
exceptions. [FOOTNOTE: See the musical illustrations on pp. 217-218.] Le
Sowinski mentions only one classification of mazurkas. Several others,
however, exist. First, according to the district from which they
derive--mazurkas of Kujavia, of Podlachia, of Lublin, &c.; or, secondly,
according to their character, or to the purpose or occasion for which
they were composed: wedding, village, historical, martial, and political
mazurkas. And now let us hear what the poet Brodzinski has to say about
the nature of this dance:-- The mazurek in its primitive form and as the
common people dance is only a kind of krakowiak, only less lively and
less sautillant. The agile Cracovians and the mountaineers of the
Carpathians call the mazurek danced by the inhabitants of the plain but
a dwarfed krakowiak. The proximity of the Germans, or rather the sojourn
of the German troops, has caused the true character of the mazurek among
the people to be lost; this dance hap become a kind of awkward waltz.

With the people of the capital the real dances of the country
are disfigured not only by the influx of foreigners, but
especially also by the unfortunate employment of barrel-
organs..