Rzewski remains one of today's composers to have most enriched the repertoire of this instrument, which was already relatively monumental given its great popularity in the nineteenth century). His pieces have easily transcended the world of contemporary music, without compromising its demanding aesthetic aspirations, nor falling into the easy way. The composer draws on many influences, including avant-garde music, classical repertoire, minimalism and jazz.

Freedom is the key word inseparable from his social commitment as well as from his music, which often springs from improvisation. Even if Rzewski has often engaged in an ingenious relationship between contemporary music and revolutionary popular songs (in the tradition of Cardew and Eisler), these Songs of insurrection approach another way of constructing music with a political significance, without being explicitly stated as such. It is a question of subtle transformations of protest songs organized among themselves, where the pianist must also improvise cadenzas, in the pure tradition of the nineteenth century, more or less neglected in the contemporary repertoire.

7 songs are the basis of Songs of insurrection : 
Die Moorsoldaten (The Song of the Deportees)
Probably the best-known anti-fascist song of the 20th century, the Song of the Deportees or Song of the Marshes was written by prisoners in the Börgermoor concentration camp in 1932. It is said that from its first appearance, it became so popular that Nazi guards (who considered themselves "swamp soldiers") joined in the prisoners' song. 

Katyusha
Written in 1941 by Matvei Blanter, with lyrics by Mikhail Isakovsky, during the German invasion of the USSR, this song was quickly re-appropriated and adapted by resistance movements in several countries, such as Greece and Italy (Fischia Il Vento). 

Ain't going to Let Nobody Turn Me Around
A traditional gospel song from the 19th century, this song became one of the anthems of the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960s. It has been sung by Joan Baez, Barbara Smith and The Roots, among others. 

Foggy Dew
A ballad that has become standard in Irish culture, Foggy Dew emerged from the Easter Rising, sometimes referred to as the Bloody Easter in 1916, which led to Irish independence.

Grândola, Vila Morena
Portuguese song composed by Zeca Afonso in 1974. It tells the story of the brotherhood of the inhabitants of Grândola, a town located in the Alentejo. Considered to exalt communist ideas, it was initially censored by the regime of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. It is associated with the Carnation Revolution and the restoration of democracy in Portugal. 

Los Cuatros Generales
A famous revolutionary song, whose model was Los Cuatros Muleros (an old Andalusian love song revived by Federico Garcia Lorca), Los Cuatros Generales refers to four putschist generals of the Spanish Civil War. 

Oh Bird, Oh Bird, Oh Roller
Song born during the Korean peasant rebellion of Donghak in 1894. Sung throughout Korea, it is said to have been sung for the first time at the performance of Jeon.