This polonaise was actually the fifth in order that Chopin wrote, but the renumbering that occurred when his early polonaises were posthumously published did not take chronology into account. It is believed that this work dates to about 1825, making the composer about 15 when he wrote it. He was already reasonably experienced at his craft even then, and displayed many characteristics from his mature style.

In fact, this D minor polonaise is a collage of several sides of the composer: the youthful Chopin, the mature Chopin, and the Classical Chopin tipping his hat to Mozart. The piece starts off with a brief introduction, then presents a theme that begins mysteriously but ends playfully. It leaves the listener with the impression that the teenage composer is not quite comfortable yet in handling the expression of angst and other adult subjects. But then, perhaps this thematic ambivalence was exactly what the wily youth was striving for. The middle section is playful and jaunty, though it turns a bit serious near the end. The main material is presented once again—much as it was heard before, though—and the piece ends quietly. A typical performance of this polonaise lasts about six minutes.

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This polonaise and the Polonaise in F minor, Op. 71/3, were both composed in 1828, three years after the youngest sibling in the Op. 71 group, the D minor. All were posthumously published in Berlin (in 1855), grouped together under one opus number. Thus the composer did not consider the trio as a set, and while the last two came in the same year, they can hardly be considered together since about a half dozen compositions were written between them.

This B flat major polonaise begins with a short, stately introduction, followed by a delicate, elegant theme whose ornamental aspects impart an air of grace and freshness. The lengthy middle section is more serious in its fiery and dramatic manner, the melody turning dark and even angry. The contrast is most effective, and when the main theme reappears following a repeat of the introductory material, it sounds even more innocent and fresh, though its makeup is essentially the same. While this polonaise may lack the heroic and more emotionally kinetic properties of the famous ones that would come a decade or so later, it is nevertheless a fine work. Like most of Chopin's works in this dance genre, it is a large composition, lasting nine to ten minutes in a typical performance.

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Despite their high opus number, these polonaises are early works, the first likely dating to 1825, the latter pair probably coming in 1828. Chopin's first polonaise was written in 1817, when he was seven years old. The first of the Op. 71 works—the D minor—was actually his fifth polonaise, and the other two here, the B flat major and the F minor, were the seventh and eighth, respectively. Both of them show the composer as a more seasoned creator, closer to his mature style.

The D minor polonaise, though it divulges the influence of Mozart on its 15-year-old creator, is not a weak composition. After a brief introduction, the main theme is given, a mysterious and ominous melody in its first half, but turning quite playful and brighter in its latter moments. "Playful" is also the word to describe the middle section, although, in a kind of reverse of the scheme used for the main theme, it becomes serious before its close. In the end, while this is certainly a strong effort for such a young composer, it is not a major achievement.

The grander B flat major polonaise is not entirely free of Mozart's voice either, but it is clearly and instantly recognizable as Chopin and better constructed. After a brief, rather stern introduction, the long-breathed main theme is presented, a graceful and, in its bird-like twittering in the upper register, sweetly playful and elegant melody. The middle section, based on the previous material, is darker and full of tension. If Chopin is more concerned with beauty and grace in the main theme, he gives the middle panel a depth of expression that already shows a fine sense of contrast for a composer of his (then) 18 years. He closes with a recapitulation that presents the opening material with few changes.

The F minor polonaise may be the best of the three here. It is pure Chopin, mired in the kind of gloom that inspired him to write some of his finest music. Here, the main theme is haunting in its loneliness and the obsessiveness of the refrain-like resolution that closes each appearance. An ebullient alternate theme appears briefly as if to cheer up the spirits, but fails to break the generally dark atmosphere. The middle section does offer a change of mood, though its Romantic warmth is tinged with wistfulness and a sense of longing. The main and alternate themes return in the latter half, with the former closing the piece out.

The Op. 71 set is interesting because it shows the composer's style evolving from the naïve D minor polonaise to the more sophisticated B flat major, and finally to the masterful F minor. The latter two last about ten minutes each and the earliest about six minutes.

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