Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Larghetto
Rafal Blechacz, piano
Jerzy Semkow, conductor
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

From Chopin: The Piano Concertos (2009)
Released by Deutsche Grammophon




Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Larghetto

25-year-old Rafal Blechacz, winner of the 15th International Chopin Competition in 2005, performs the two piano concertos with extreme musicality and sensibility. This is by far the best recording of the Chopin concertos in recent years.


Official website

Mazurka op. 17 no. 4 in A minor
Cédric Tiberghien, piano

From Chopin: Mazurkas (2010)
Released by Harmonia Mundi




Chopin: Mazurka op. 17 no. 4 in A minor

Wonderful recording by Cédric Tiberghien, to finish the Chopin year “en beauté”.


Official website

Nocturne Op. 9 No. 3
Pascal Amoyel, piano

From Frédéric Chopin: Les 21 Nocturnes (2010)
Released by Calliope




Chopin: Nocturne Op. 9 No. 3

Refined, sensitive and delicate, Pascal Amoyel’s recording of Chopin’s Nocturnes was awarded the Honorable Mentions from the 7th International Record Competition Grand Prix du Disque Frédéric Chopin.

An outstanding CD not to be missed.


Official website

Arthur Rubinstein, piano

Mazurka op.68 no.4 in F minor

From Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 50 (2001)
Released by RCA








Chopin: Mazurka op.68 no.4

Chopin has written at least 58 Mazurkas, based on the traditional Polish dance.

Let’s listen to Arthur Rubinstein play Mazurka no.4 op. 68.

Jian Wang, cello

Chopin: Cello Sonata Op.65

From Presenting Jian Wang (1992)
Released by Delos Records







Chopin: Cello Sonata

Frédéric Chopin wrote his Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65 in 1846. It is one of only nine works by Chopin published during his lifetime that were written for instruments other than piano. The Cello Sonata also has the distinction of being the last of Chopin’s works to be published in his lifetime.

The sonata was written for and dedicated to Auguste Franchomme, and it was played by Franchomme and Chopin at the composer’s last public concert, in Paris at the Salle Playel on 16 February 1848.

Dinu Lipatti, piano

Chopin: Waltz #9 in A flat “L’Adieu”

From Waltzes by Chopin (2009)
Released by CreateSpace







Chopin: Waltz #9 in A flat

This recording was made in 1950, three months before the Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti died of Hodgkin’s disease at the age of 33.

Lipatti, whether he plays Bach, Mozart or Chopin, is just beautiful. His interpretations are sincere, simple, yet powerful in expression and colour. He defines what music is.

Waltze no.1, Op. 69, also known as L’adieu, was composed when Chopin fell in love with Maria Wodzinska, whose father did not want her to marry a poor young musician.

This melody is full of tenderness, sadness and a kind of languishing despair, and when performed by Lipatti who knew that he was condemned, is utterly heartbreaking.