Chopin - Concerto Pour Piano No.1, Ballade No.1, Polonaise No. 6 / Maurizio Pollini, Philharmonia Orchestra, Paul Kletzki / EMI Angel Studio Audio CD 1987 Stereo / CDM 7 69004 2

UPC 077776900421

The Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, is a piano concerto written by Frédéric Chopin in 1830, when he was twenty years old. It was first performed on 11 October of that year, at the Teatr Narodowy (the National Theatre) in Warsaw, Poland, with the composer as soloist, during one of his “farewell” concerts before leaving Poland.

It was the first of Chopin's two piano concertos to be published, and was therefore given the designation of Piano Concerto “No. 1” at the time of publication, even though it was actually written immediately after the premiere of what was later published as Piano Concerto No. 2.

The concerto is scored for solo piano, pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, tenor trombone, timpani and strings. A typical performance lasts about 40 minutes.

The Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 is a ballade for solo piano by Frédéric Chopin, completed in 1835. It is one of Chopin's most popular works. A typical performance lasts nine to ten minutes.