Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor (1828) was his breakthrough work, serving as his 'passport' from the provinces to Paris.
Compositional Technique
The first movement of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 pushes boundaries by forsaking conventional sonata form for a more idiosyncratic scenario.
Compositional Technique
Chopin's Polonaise in A-flat major, Opus 53, uses a left-hand 'fusillade' of sixteenth notes in octaves to create a sense of patriotic fury and battle.
Critical Reception
Donald Francis Tovey, an astute music critic, controversially called the experimental formal plan of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 'suicidal'.
Cultural Impact
Chopin's Fantasy-Impromptu, Opus 66, is famously known as the melodic source for the popular song 'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows' by Harry Carroll.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Chopin's art represents a marriage of public and private, reconciling extrovert and introspective elements, making him both a poet and a showman.
Performer Biography
Olga Kern, the pianist on this recording, won the Gold Medal at the Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001.
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