Chopin penned the Rondo à la krakowiak, Op. 14 in 1828, when he was eighteen. It was composed under the careful supervision of his teacher Jozef Eisner. The composer premiered the piece at his first concert in Vienna in 1829, and it very much impressed and intrigued the audience. The orchestra plays a supportive and accompanimental role, for the most part, but Chopin shows skill in writing for the ensemble, and he is very sensitive to the strengths of each instrument. He constructed this piece as a Rondo, which suggests that there is a melody or theme that returns over and over again. In this case, that melody is a krakowiak, a lively Polish dance. It was a popular folk dance, but it had also transitioned into fashionable high society. Chopin brings out the spirited rhythm of the style, which relies heavily on syncopated rhythms, and allows the soloist to shine in a skilled display of pianistic dexterity. Paganini's 24th caprice is quoted in the work.
