Chopin: Andante spianato- Alain Planès (piano) Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 9 No. 2- Brigitte Engerer (piano) Waltz No. 9 in A flat major, Op. 69 No. 1 'Farewell Waltz'- Alexandre Tharaud (piano) Waltz No. 1 in E flat major 'Grande Valse Brillante', Op. 18- Alexandre Tharaud (piano) Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23- Cédric Tiberghien (piano) Étude Op. 10 No. 3 in E major 'Tristesse' -Frederic Chiu (piano) Prelude Op. 28 No. 6 in B minor- Alain Planès (piano) Prelude Op. 28 No. 15 in D flat major ‘Raindrop'- Alain Planès (piano) Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35 'Marche funèbre'- Olga Kern (piano) Mazurka No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 7 No. 1- Frederic Chiu (piano) Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53 'Héroïque'- Jon Nakamatsu (piano) Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor, Op. 66 'Fantaisie-Impromptu'- Olga Kern (piano) Étude Op. 10 No. 1 in C major- Nobuyuki Tsujii (piano) Étude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor ‘Revolutionary'- Nobuyuki Tsujii (piano) Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 (Rondo:Vivace)- Olga Kern (piano), Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Wit
Idealised by romantic myth, Frédéric Chopin is one of the most celebrated composers in history. This virtuoso pianist devoted his whole output to his instrument and developed a unique style which made him 'an extraordinary artist' (Berlioz). Here the musicians of harmonia mundi present some of his most famous pieces, a glimpse of the inner world of this genius who 'made use of art solely to fulfil his own tragic destiny' (Liszt).