Chopin: Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante in E flat major, Op. 22

This rousing Polonaise, which is preceded by a nocturne-like Andante, was originally a work for piano and orchestra. It was written at the same time as Chopin's two piano concertos in e minor and f minor, and breathes the same fresh, youthful spirit. Since the orchestral part is subordinate and fulfills only an accompanying function, the Polonaise lends itself brilliantly to performance as a solo piano piece, and indeed is almost always performed as such in today's concert halls. In this spirit - and following the first editions - our Urtext edition is laid out not as a piano reduction (with two piano systems), but contains only the solo part; at those few passages where the solo piano rests, the orchestral accompaniment is reproduced in small print.