Fryderyk Chopin was admired by Liszt for his individuality and revolutionary daring, and Schumann was wildly enthusiastic about the F minor Piano Concerto, one of Chopin’s earliest works. Despite the concerto’s youthful origins this is a novel and brilliant piece, its melodic elegance, harmonic richness and magical Adagio being a match for most of his later compositions. Chopin’s other pieces for piano and orchestra were composed to launch his career as a virtuoso, the Krakowiak being a vigorous Polish country dance, and Là ci darem a famously infectious tune from Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

This VOX Audiophile Edition recording was first released in 1973 as LP cat. SVBX 5126, and subsequently appeared on CD as part of the VOX Box Chopin Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra with Abbey Simon and the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Heribert Beissel, CDX-5002.

These recordings have been given a new lease of life by going back to the original Elite Recordings master tapes, which have been newly transferred to CD in 192 kHz/24-bit high definition. The Elite Recordings for VOX by producers Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz are already considered to be amongst the finest sounding of orchestral studio recordings, so this newly restored edition of such legendary sessions will be eagerly sought out by audiophile collectors and the many fans of these vibrant and now classic performances.

Abbey Simon (1920–2019) was a pianist in the great Romantic tradition, his repertoire focusing on Chopin, Schumann, Rachmaninov and Ravel, all played with a virtuoso technique which he employed with effortless ease coupled with a smooth, clear sound.

Simon made a few recordings for Philips and HMV, but the majority of his recorded output was on the VOX label.

Heribert Beissel (1933–2021) was the chief conductor of the Hamburger Symphoniker from 1971 to 1985.

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.

‘Simon plays them all as though they were first-class material, and his interpretative style is enlivening... for a musical bargain, Simon's performances can't be beat.’ – New York Times