Chopin's Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor

Building a Library: Kenneth Hamilton chooses his favourite recording of Chopin's Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor.

Frédéric Chopin composed this glorious concerto in 1829 when he was 20 and before he had finished his formal education. It was first performed in Warsaw, with the composer as soloist. It was actually the first of his two piano concertos to be written. Like all Chopin's works, it is full of haunting melodies and thrilling piano writing. The nocturnal middle movement in particular is a golden moment, inspired by Chopin's romantic idolization of Konstancja Gładkowska.