Chopin Piano Concertos No. 2

Author: (Poland) Chopin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: Chopin composed only two piano concertos in his lifetime, both of which belong to his Warsaw period. The F minor Concerto (Op. 21) was written in 1829 and published in 1836. The E minor Concerto (Op. 11) was composed in 1830 and published in 1833. These two works are extremely similar in content and style, even to the extent that they can be called sister pieces. They both adopt the three-movement structure of classical concertos, with a very strict layout and format. The sonata movements still adhere strictly to the tradition of double exposition. These two concertos are imbued with the passion, vitality, and energy of youth. While they contain fantasy, temporary melancholy, and faint sorrow, they are filled with an irrepressible brightness and joy, even with certain youthful exaggeration and showmanship.