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There has always been a bit of confusion about the two piano concertos of Frederic Chopin. The Piano Concerto #2 was written first, and the Piano Concerto #1 was written a year later. The premiere of the Piano Concerto #2 was a red letter day for Fred. It was 29 December 1829, and the 19 year old Chopin performed at the Warsaw Merchants’ Club, giving the world his first truly mature masterpiece and an evergreen for the concert hall.

His orchestral accompaniment is rather clunky, so it’s a weak start. Sonata format has the orchestra first play both subjects of the exposition while the pianist sits and waits for his entrance. The exposition repeat is handled by piano and orchestra. Then comes development and recapitulation, followed by a coda.

The pianist is Arthur Rubinstein, who was 88 years old at time of this concert and almost blind. What phrasing! This performance uses the short ending.

Chopin: Piano Concerto #2 in F minor, Op. 21 (first movement)

The second movement is a dreamy slow movement in ternary (A-B-A) format where the piano becomes an opera singer.

(second movement)

The finale is a mazurka of sorts. The coda is a technical challenge, requiring a supple right wrist, something I did not possess as a teenager. At 9:09 the horn sounds, and it’s off to the races!

(third movement)