Chopin's piano works, renowned for their technical brilliance, also invariably project the composer's mercurial moods. Their complex emotional content often lies close to the surface: a sparkling and graceful passage may be tinged with melancholy, a dark moment may be crowned with a note of triumph. This superb collection of fifteen of Chopin's works for piano reflects these compelling qualities in some of the greatest piano compositions of the Romantic period.
Foremost among them is perhaps the magnificent Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 49. Here, too, are the often-performed Barcarolle, Op. 60, and Berceuse, Op. 57; the Allegro de Concert, Op. 46, and the Andante spianato, Op. 22; and ten other works.
The volume contains the following fifteen pieces: Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 49; Barcarolle, Op. 60; Berceuse, Op. 57; Bolero, Op. 19; Tarantelle, Op. 43; Allegro de Concert, Op. 46; Andante spianato, Op. 22; Funeral march in C Minor, Op. 72, No. 2; Three Ecossaises, Op. 72, No. 3; Introduction and variations on "Je vends des scapulaires," Op. 12; Introduction and Variations on a German Air; Variation No. 6 from the Hexameron; Rondo in C Minor, Op. 1; Rondo "à la Mazur" in F Major, Op. 5; and Introduction and Rondo, Op. 16.
All of these works have been meticulously reproduced here from the authoritative 19th-century German edition by Chopin's distinguished student Carl Mikuli, whose Foreword is reprinted here in an English translation. Printed on durable paper and sturdily bound, this edition offers pianists a choice selection of some of the most engaging works in the solo piano repertory.