A remarkable pianist, FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN created some of the most brilliant Romantic masterpieces for the piano. His musical talent blossomed in early childhood, captivating audiences in Warsaw, Vienna, and Paris. He left Warsaw on November 2, 1830, and eventually settled in Paris in 1831, where he remained until the end of his life (he died at only 39 years of age), though he always remained deeply connected to his homeland, Poland.

With the exception of a few early chamber works and songs, Chopin devoted himself almost entirely to the piano, composing mazurkas, polonaises, waltzes, preludes, nocturnes, ballades, scherzos, impromptus, études, variations, and sonatas. His two piano concertos—No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 and No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21—were written in Warsaw when he was 19–20 years old, though published later. Also for piano and orchestra is the Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante, Op. 22, begun in Warsaw in 1830 and completed in Paris in 1834 (published in 1836). Chopin also sketched ideas for a third piano concerto, and his Allegro de Concert in A major, Op. 46  is often regarded as a reworking of its projected first movement. After settling in Paris, however, he composed no further works for piano and orchestra.

THE PIANO CONCERTO IN E MINOR, OP. 11 is the first of his two piano concertos, although it was written after the Concerto in F minor (composed earlier but published in 1836 as Op. 21). The E minor concerto was published in 1833 in Paris and Leipzig. It is dedicated to the famous virtuoso pianist, teacher, and composer Friedrich Kalkbrenner.

Written in 1830, the E minor concerto was performed for the first time on October 11 of that year, conducted by Carlo Solliva at the National Theater in Warsaw, with Chopin as soloist. This was his last appearance as a pianist before leaving Poland for good. Yesterday’s concert was a success, Chopin wrote to his friend Titus Wojciechowski on October 12, 1830. “A full house!” The only review of the event, published the next day in Kurier Warszawski, noted that 700 people were in attendance and that Chopin, as composer and virtuoso, was showered with applause. On the occasion of the successful premiere of the concert in Paris at the Salle Pleyel, François-Joseph Fétis, editor of the Revue Musicale, noted: “These melodies have soul, these passages have fantasy, and there is originality everywhere.”

In his letters to Tytus Woyciechowski, Chopin shares a wealth of information and commentary about his two piano concertos, inspired in part by his personal experiences. The piano is the leading instrument, with the orchestra delicately accompanying the dramatically unfolding solo part. Each concerto is in three movements, with a slow middle section (which he calls “adagio” in his letters) and a rondo finale. As in the Second Concerto, the sonata-allegro of the first movement features a double exposition, but in the E minor Concerto it is longer and more majestic (Allegro maestoso). After the orchestral presentation of the thematic material, the piano enters with Chopin’s characteristic virtuosity and vivid poetic imagery. The second theme is lyrical and exquisitely beautiful. Following Mozart’s example, Chopin creates the middle movement—Romanza (Larghetto)—as a lyrical revelation, inspired by his infatuation and unrequited love for the opera singer Konstancja Gładkowska. “The adagio of my new concerto is in E major,” he explained in a letter to Woyciechowski dated May 15, 1830. “It is not powerful, but rather romantic, calm, melancholic, and should evoke the impression of a tender gaze, directed towards where thousands of pleasant memories emerge. It is like a dream on a beautiful moonlit spring night.” The energetic and graceful finale (Rondo vivace) is written in the spirit of the popular Polish folk dance krakowiak.

Chopin’s two piano concertos were highly praised by his contemporaries, with Robert Schumann in particular revering their grandeur and poetic spirit. Today, they remain a cornerstone of the repertoire and a benchmark of pianistic mastery. They are mandatory works in the final round of the prestigious International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, one of the world’s most renowned contests dedicated to the great composer and pianist.