Clair de Lune (Moonlight) in D-Flat Major is the third and most famous movement from Claude Debussy’s Suite bergamasque. Its name comes from Verlaine’s poem “Clair de lune”, which means “moonlight” in French.
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 1 in C major, Op. 15, was written in 1795, then revised in 1800. The first performance took place on 18 December 1795 in Vienna with Ludwig van Beethoven himself as soloist.
The third Prelude, in G major, returns to volatility. It belongs to the category of ‘etudal’ preludes, characterised by a quick tempo, lightness and mobility. It develops a single textural idea.
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major (K. 488) was finished on March 2, 1786, two months prior to the premiere of the opera, Le nozze di Figaro and some three weeks prior to the completion of his next piano concerto.
Chopin’s 24 Preludes Op. 28, are a set of short pieces for the piano, one in each of the twenty-four keys, originally published in 1839. Chopin’s Prelude No 16 in B-Flat Minor, Presto con fuoco, is certainly the most difficult of the set.
The Piano Concerto No. 2 was composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1829. Chopin wrote the piece before he had finished his formal education, at around 20 years of age. It was first performed on 17 March 1830, in Warsaw, Poland, with the composer as soloist.
Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52, was composed in 1842 in Paris and Nohant and revised in 1843. The work was dedicated to Baroness Rothschild, wife of Nathaniel de Rothschild.
Bartók’s Piano Concerto No 3 in E Major, was composed in 1945 during the final months of his life, as a surprise birthday present for his second wife Ditta Pásztory-Bartók. Béla Bartók died on September 26, 1945, with the concerto unfinished.
Chopin’s Prelude No. 4 in E Minor is one of the 24 preludes opus 28 for piano. By Chopin’s request, this piece was played at his own funeral, along with Mozart’s Requiem.
