Concerto No.2 in F minor

Piano concertos combine two elements: pure playing and full poetic expression. Virtuosity and romance. Pianistic brilliance, educated in the works in the stile brillant, brought to perfection, but at the same time – a farewell. Both are forms of direct expression of the personality of the composer, which showed itself in them for the first time with so much strength and is manifested in a group of characteristics of forming Chopin's individual style. 

In terms of size, substantially smaller than the E minor concerto and also a different kind of expression: more lyrical, drawn in delicate pastel colours. Especially famous is the second movement, the Larghetto, which Chopin wrote under the inspiration of his first love. 

Critical source-edition edited by Jan Ekier and Paweł Kamiński based on manuscripts, copies approved by Chopin himself, and first editions. Its purpose is to present the works of Chopin in authentic form. The present score is composed of parts from the first edition. The concert version of the score, recreated by taking into consideration also other sources which present Chopin`s intention, constitutes volume 34 B VIIIb. The Concerto in an authentic arrangement for one piano makes up volume 14 A XIIIb. The version with the second piano, containing the reduction of the orchestra part, forms volume 31 B VIb. The historical scores are purer with regard to editorial interference, yet contaminated by the involvement in the sources of foreign hands. The historical scores show that which, for various reasons, Chopin agreed to have published.