Presents
Frederic Chopin
Piano Concerto No.2 in f minor, Op.21
For Piano, 2 Violins, Viola Cello & Bass
It is well-known that Chopin did not like playing in large concert halls with a full orchestra. Instead, he prefered to play in the salons of Paris or his apartment for smaller audiences at private concerts. As a result, he made several arrangements of his two piano concertos---for piano solo, piano duo, for piano and string quartet and for piano and string quintet, which allowed him to present his concerti in front of smaller audiences. It is said that he performed the concerti with string quintets more often than he did with an orchestra.
Piano Concerto No.2 in f minor, Op.21 dates from 1829 and was premiered in 1830 about half a year before he left Poland to which he never returned. The reason for his departure is usually attributed to the fact that Polish audiences were bored with him as he was no longer a child prodigy. And although he made several frequent extended trips abroad, he never resided any place else but Paris.
Since Chopin himself performed the work in this version more frequently than in the full orchestral version, it is certainly valuable not only from an historical perspective but also as insight into the composer's ideas.
Parts: $44.95
