Concerto in F minor for piano and orchestra, op. 21 FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849) It may sound funny today, but at the beginning of the nineteenth century the solo piano recital had not yet been “invented”: virtuoso pianists of the time performed either in private palaces and homes, or in “mixed” orchestral and vocal concerts, hence accompanied by an orchestra. A young composer-pianist such as Chopin, who wanted to establish his reputation, would have had to compose for his own use, preferably virtuoso showpieces that would highlight his performing skills. That is how Chopin’s two piano concertos (and four more works for piano and orchestra) were born. Fortunately, they represent vintage Chopin, where melodies flow freely and an emerging confidence and individuality of style are felt. It is hard to believe that both these concertos were written before Chopin’s twentieth birthday. Although entitled No. 2 for reasons of publishing dates, the F minor Concerto was the earlier of the two and was intended for Chopin’s first public performance in Warsaw. Its success was instantaneous and the fact that it was also meant to be enduring has turned it into a staple ca. 30 mins. of any serious pianist’s repertoire. A raving review of the time reveals the indelible link between Chopin’s playing and his music: “The remarkable delicacy of his touch, his indescribable mechanical agility, his consummate tonal shading, so rich in feeling, his seldom matched clarity and his highly original compositions… reveal a most exceptional virtuoso, who appears unheralded, like one of the brightest meteors on the musical horizon.” That Chopin composed while he was playing is obvious from the improvisatory style of the piano part, the rich flow of musical ideas exposed mostly in sequential manner and the delicacy of the ornamental elements, which become more and more thematic and meaningful. It is also obvious from the relative inadequacy of the orchestration and the minor role given to the orchestra. Yet, many critics have agreed that Chopin’s orchestration is not inadequate, but “merely an unpretentious and correct accompaniment to his piano writing.” Thus, after the brief orchestral exposition of the first movement, the main and only hero of this “drama”, the piano, carries the music forward Maestoso Larghetto Allegro vivace
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