Chapter 1 Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11

F. Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 (2nd Movement “Romanze”)

Oxana Yablonskaya works on this early Romantic concerto together with her brilliant assistant Tetiana Shafran. The 2nd movement is challenging for its poetic lyricism and delicate interplay with the orchestra.

The Chopin Piano Concerto masterclass focuses on the Larghetto (Romanze) second movement, where expressive tone control, nuanced rubato, and dynamic shading are paramount.

Despite fewer virtuosic fireworks than later concertos, it tests the pianist’s technical elegance in filigree passagework and the ability to “sing” cantabile lines while coordinating with an orchestra. Key skills addressed include managing different rhythms simultaneously, choosing optimal fingerings for fluidity, and pedaling subtly to enhance the romantic mood.

Chopin composed this concerto in 1830, and from his own words we know that he meant the 2nd movement "Romanze - Larghetto" as a sort of reverie, "..someone looking at somewhere and recalling happy memories". Oxana Yablonskaya teaches about the various changes that can be applied to dynamics according to this vision, while never losing sight of tempo. In the performance, Oxana plays herself the orchestral part, and her assistant plays the soloist part.
The main points are:
1) managing different rhythms in Tempo Primo
2) Different fingerings
3) Use of the pedal to emphasize the romantic mood.

Professor: Oxana Yablonskaya
Assistant Tetiana Shafran

Performance F. Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
(2nd Movement “Romanze”) - Tetiana Shafran