Additional Info:Martha Argerich, piano
Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Witold Rowicki
(R) by Salvadore Caruselli
Live recording, digital remastered
It is a common belief that among the great romantic composers whose output dates from the first half of the nineteenth century Chopin alone seems not to be influenced by Beethoven's weighty legacy whose traces can be found in most instrumental pieces composed in that time. On the one hand this was chiefly due to the fact that the great Polish composer was not trained in the Central European symphonic tradition; on the other he preferred to devote himself to the piano, refraining from writing compositions for orchestra. Besides some minor works, the two well-known concertos for piano and orchestra constitute an exception.
The Concerto No. 1 in E minor was actually written after the Concerto No. 2 in F minor but the original composition order was later reversed when the two concertos were put out. Chopin resumed and revived in it the classical structure of a music style which seemed at that time to be turning into a free Fantasia, especially under Liszt's influence. This «poet of the piano» - an over-used definition which is however justified - fully revealed himself in all his Mazurkas, Etudes, Waltzes, four Scherzos and Nocturnes.
The love he felt for his homeland is at the bottom of all his Mazurkas and Polonaises which represent the most spontaneous expression of the folklore the composer rediscovered and brought out through all his life. Despite their deeply original inspiration, the Etudes follow purely technical and systematic criteria whereas the Waltzes bring back the nineteenth century brilliant society life of Paris and Vienna thanks to Chopin's delicate and sensitive touch. Often considered among his best works, the four Scherzos turned what was originally a sonata movement into a completely independent structure with its own balance, thus enriching the repertoire of piano compositions.
Chopin wrote Nocturnes during his whole life and this proves how greatly this musical form made up of tormented cantabile passages and gentle accents suited his sensitive and meditative nature.