"dowton Abbey"

Although Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor was the first of his two concertos to be published, it was actually composed shortly after No. 2. Stirring, beautiful and with a fiery Rondo finale, the concerto is especially notable for its radiant slow movement, which Chopin said was a “meditation in beautiful spring weather, but by moonlight.” The other two works on the programme are the Fantasy on Polish Airs, which Chopin called his ‘Potpourri on Polish Themes’, and the Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante, a dance-inspired showpiece. They’re performed in this classic 1972 VOX recording by Abbey Simon, the great American pianist and eloquent exponent of Chopin’s works. The Elite Recordings for VOX by legendary producers Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz are considered by audiophiles to be amongst the finest sounding examples of orchestral recordings.