Chopin wrote six works for piano and orchestra, but none—at least none that were original—after 1831, the year he came to France as a political exile from Poland. Krakowiak, written when the composer was 18 years old, was his third such effort. Its title derives from a Renaissance-era Polish dance, said to be associated with courtship practices. Chopin, always showing an interest in native dances, as demonstrated by his numerous mazurkas and polonaises, was well-suited to adapting folk-like music to the concert hall.

The piece opens with a slow, rather exotic introduction on the piano (Andantino, quasi Allegretto), supported mainly by horn and subdued strings. The main section is a rondo, marked Allegro non troppo, that features a rhythmic theme on the piano whose infectious effervescence needs (and gets) little harmonic support. The piano writing turns darker and more muscular in the ensuing episode, though the bright and lively mood remains. The Polish flavor of the piece fades for a time here, but a playful dance theme in D minor brings back images, if not the sounds, of Krakow's dance halls. Again, there follows more serious, bravura writing, and then a rather bland but brief slow section is presented, which is probably the least effective episode in the entire work. The colorful dance music returns with some imaginative developmental ideas, as Chopin keeps the music light and uncomplicated to the end.

For the most part the orchestra's role is accompanimental, and at that almost dispensable. In fact, Chopin, cognizant of the limited orchestral part but also desiring wider performance of the piece, eventually fashioned a solo rendition of Krakowiak. Still, the work is to be preferred in its original version and while it may lack the depth of the later concertos, it is a thoroughly delightful, generally well-crafted composition.

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