Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Nikolai Demidenko, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra & Antoni Wit

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 | Nikolai Demidenko, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra & Antoni Wit
蕭邦：第一號鋼琴協奏曲 | 尼可拉傑米堅科、華沙愛樂樂團與安東尼維特

views Nov 8, 2026 NATIONALPHILHARMONIE
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Frédéric Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 is a highly Romantic concerto that gives pianists a wonderful opportunity to showcase their virtuosity. In this video, Russian-born Nikolai Demidenko shines as the soloist, accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Antoni Wit. The concert took place in 2010 at the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall.

(00:00) I. Allegro maestoso
(20:50) II. Romance. Larghetto
(30:23) III. Rondo. Vivace

Even as a teenager, Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) impressed audiences with his extraordinary abilities as a pianist, and his entire professional career would remain devoted to this popular instrument. His contemporaries regarded him not only as an outstanding pianist but also as a sought-after teacher. In fact, he composed almost exclusively for the piano.

Chopin's two piano concertos are works of his youth, written in quick succession in 1829 and 1830, while he was still living in his native Poland. The numbering of the concertos does not reflect the order in which they were composed. In fact, he wrote most of Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21 in 1829, followed by Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 11 the next year. The reversed numbering is a result of their publication dates.

It is hardly surprising that Chopin composed piano concertos at such a young age, given that the genre was the leading form of concerto throughout the 19th century and enjoyed enormous popularity among musicians and audiences alike. However, the Polish composer did not write his Piano Concerto No. 1 in the tradition of his most famous predecessor, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). Instead, Chopin drew stylistic inspiration from Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837) and the German-French pianist Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785–1849). Kalkbrenner, whom Chopin idolized, was also the dedicatee of his Piano Concerto No. 1. This stylistic approach is reflected in the structure of the work: rather than adopting a symphonic design in which orchestra and soloist engage in a dialogue as equal partners, as in Beethoven's concertos, the focus is entirely on the pianist's musical self-expression. The orchestra's role is limited to providing introductions, linking the solo sections and, above all, accompanying the solo passages, allowing them to stand out all the more brilliantly.

The first movement, Allegro maestoso, opens with an extended orchestral introduction presenting three themes. The first theme subsequently serves purely as a structural element of the movement. The melodic second theme emerges as the true main theme, while the third, even more lyrical than the main theme, takes on the role of the secondary theme. The movement builds to such demanding piano passages that a concluding cadenza would be more than superfluous. The second movement is a Romance, as dreamlike as Chopin's later Nocturnes. Interestingly, the slow movement gives the impression of a free improvisation, even though it is constructed as a cantilena with a strictly periodic structure. The third movement follows the second attacca, without a pause. It's a thrilling Rondo whose syncopated rhythm is based on the Krakowiak, a lively Polish folk dance. The movement culminates in an exuberant, dance-like coda with an almost triumphal effect.

As a result, it's hardly surprising that the premiere of the Piano Concerto in E minor in Warsaw on October 11, 1830, was a major success. For Chopin, who performed the solo part, it was one of the farewell concerts the young pianist gave in his native Poland before eventually settling permanently in Paris, following several stops along the way.

Interestingly, the German poet and journalist Heinrich Heine (1797–1856), who moved to Paris around the same time as Chopin, did not regard the musician's pianistic virtuosity as his defining quality. Heine saw Chopin as more of a composer than a virtuoso. In the sweet depths of his music, Heine reveled in the great and ingenious musical poet. Given the deeply Romantic melodies of Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1, his achievement as a composer should therefore not be overshadowed by his virtuosity.

Text: Rita Kass

Film Provided by DW Classical Music