Chopin wrote two piano concertos, both youthful works written before his 21st birthday.
Pianistically, these concertos are marvellous and unprecedented. However, most critics (many of them not having properly studied these works in detail) lobby severe criticism at them because of the uneven balance between piano orchestra. It is true that the relatively short orchestra passages take a backseat to the piano part, and they are scored rather conventionally. Yet it is amazing how adequate the orchestral writing is for a young composer lacking experience as well as training in the field. To claim that Chopin 'could not compose for the orchestra' is selling this audacious enterprise woefully short, and is denying the sheer genius of the young composer.

Pianistically then, these concertos belong to the most-loved and most widely performed of all piano concertos. Virtuosity and elegance go hand in hand with exquisite melodies and harmonic colours. These most romantic of concertos seem to the listener, to borrow a favourite phrase of Mozart, "to flow like oil".


Piano Concerto nr.2 in F minor op.21

Complete recording by Neil O'Doan

1	Maestoso	13:32
2	Larghetto	9:27
3	Allegro vivace	8:16

The Seattle Philharmoiioc is conducted by Nico Snel