Piano Concerto No.2, op. 21, in F Minor
Frederic Chopin
Born - March 1, 1810 in Warsaw, Poland
Died - October 17, 1849 in Paris, France
Chopin performed the premier of this concerto on March 17, 1830 in Warsaw.
The Paris debut of this concerto in 1832 received the highest praise from Liszt and Mendelssohn, despite the fact that Chopin had little appreciation for either composer and admired only Bach and Mozart.
In Paris at the age of 19 - less than ten years after the death of Beethoven- Chopin made an early career for himself as a pianist and composer of pieces featuring the piano. Having no interest in symphonic writing and even less in public appearances, he earned a reputation as an elusive musical genius, and his infrequent recitals only added to his fame and fortune.
His style of composition was highly improvisatory.From the age of seven he could perfectly
create effortless melodies and flowing accompaniments, but committing his melodies to paper would give him grief for weeks on end.
Orchestration was never Chopin’s forte and most likely he had assistance for his two piano concertos. Nonetheless, his sensitivity to dynamics, phrasing, and nuance are as evident in this concerto as in any nocturne or mazurka.
In the first movement, the orchestra introduces the theme, but the piano gracefully takes over and steals the spotlight for the remainder of the piece. The orchestra adds harmonies, color and support, but the piano is the true star; every note is of absolute importance, from brilliant passagework to delicate grace-note ornamentation. The second movement plays like a nocturne, a love song to a classmate at the Warsaw conservatory to whom Chopin never had the courage to speak. A nod to his Polish roots, the third movement is a mazurka, butwith its constantly shifting rhythms it is too complex to dance. The violins contribute an interesting color in this movement by the use ofcol legno- hitting the string with the wood of the bow.