With the exception of these two early piano concertos, most of Frederic Chopin's output was devoted to miniatures. Through these concertos, however, Chopin transformed the piano into an ideal vehicle for romanticism and established his own reputation as the premiere soloist of his day. Written in the artistically sheltered world of Warsaw, No. 1 was premiered by Chopin when he was 20 and reflects his intense wish for Polish independence. The centrality of the piano is revealed in the opening, Brahmsian "Maestoso", and continues with the idyllic, moonlit reverie of "Romanze". In the concluding rondo, the composer offers authentic excerpts of Cracow folk music. Concerto No. 2 (actually written before No. 1, but published later) once again places the piano in a prominent role, though the conventional sonata form is discarded for a theme-and-variations approach in the opening movement. Charles Dutoit keeps the reconstituted forces of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (now consisting of strings, four horns, two trumpets, winds in pairs, timpani, and trombone) in a state of constant alert, thereby allowing Argerich to create a spontaneous, acrobatic performance that spins with the abandon of fireworks. There is no reason to consider this collaboration to be anything less than definitive. --Kevin Mulhall