Ewald Zimmermann

Chopin composed his piano concertos around 1829/30, which means that to a certain extent they are the climax and conclusion of his student years in Warsaw. Both works are early masterpieces with which...

Not every listener will immediately realize that this piece, which begins in the style of a dream-like nocturne with one of Chopin's most enchanting melodic ideas, originated as a piano etude. But upo...

The Nocturne op. 37 no. 2, composed in 1839, is a perfect example of the rich, pearling cascades of thirds and sixths that keep Chopin's piano works at the top of the popularity list and as beloved to...

Chopin's furioso c-minor etude has become famous as the 'Revolutionary Etude'. According to unsubstantiated legend, the composer wrote it in September 1831 when news of the crushing of the Polish upri...

Chopin applied himself the waltz genre throughout his life, and created a broad spectrum of musical possibilities from profoundly melancholic and atmospheric mood-pieces to showpieces of extraordinary...

Chopin's Polonaise in A major op. 40 no. 1 is better known as the 'Military Polonaise'. Indeed, the brisk rhythm, the 'drum roll' in the middle section and the heroic demeanour of the work in general...

The popular nickname 'Minute Waltz' should not mislead the pianist into playing this 'string of pearls' too hastily. Another nickname is more effective, that of 'Petit Chien' Puppy that is frequently...

With a versatility and naturalness as appropriate to the salon as to the concert hall, Chopin's Nocturnes rank among the works that brought the composer not only fame, but also enormous renown. The de...

Though the autograph has disappeared, this posthumously published waltz is a jewel of Chopin's art, effectively combining dramatic passages with outpourings of lyricism. Despite its virtuoso brillianc...

Weber composed an incredible array of compositions in his rather short but at the same time tireless life. Many of them have still to be discovered. The Six Violin Sonatas op. 10 (b), composed in Darm...

Time and again, Chopin succeeded in giving different piano music genres their own individual characters, whether etudes, preludes, waltzes, scherzi or nocturnes. The Irishman John Field had already co...

The polonaise made its first appearances in stylized dance music in the late 16th century. With his own polonaises, Chopin also declared his allegiance to his native Poland. In a way, the genre had fa...

Time and again, Chopin succeeded in giving different piano music genres their own individual characters, whether etudes, preludes, waltzes, scherzi or nocturnes. The Irishman John Field had already co...

Hardly unexpectedly for a genre created by Franz Schubert, Chopin's four Impromptus have a strongly improvisatory character, while still overflowing with fleet-footed lightness, as well as with dignit...

Hardly unexpectedly for a genre created by Franz Schubert, Chopin's four Impromptus have a strongly improvisatory character, while still overflowing with fleet-footed lightness, as well as with dignit...

Roman Polanski's successful film 'The Pianist' has focused attention on the Nocturne in c sharp minor by Chopin. Our edition presents the work in two versions. One derives from the handwritten copy wh...

Chopin succeeded in doing something truly remarkable with his two cycles of Etudes op. 10 and op. 25, published in 1833 and 1837 respectively. Probably no one before him had composed technical practic...

Chopin revolutionized the etude - but he ennobled the waltz. He spent much time on this genre throughout his life and created a wide spectrum of forms, from virtuosic showpieces - the Grandes Valses B...

Time and again, Chopin succeeded in giving different piano music genres their own individual characters, whether etudes, preludes, waltzes, scherzi or nocturnes. The Irishman John Field had already co...

The polonaise made its first appearances in stylized dance music in the late 16th century. With his own polonaises, Chopin also declared his allegiance to his native Poland. In a way, the genre had fa...

Hardly unexpectedly for a genre created by Franz Schubert, Chopin's four Impromptus have a strongly improvisatory character, while still overflowing with fleet-footed lightness, as well as with dignit...

Chopin wrote three piano sonatas. The first, op. 4 in c minor (HN 942), is not as well known as its siblings, but permits interesting glimpses inside the young composer's workshop. The Sonata in b fla...

Between 1859 and 1885 Johannes Brahms, with his four symphonies, two piano concertos, violin concerto, dances, variations and overtures, became the representative of large-scale orchestral music. In 1...