Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (String Quintet Versions)

Following the acclaimed Brahms recording in 2021, Emmanuel Despax presents his sixth album with Signum Classics: Chopin Piano Concertos (chamber versions) with Chineke! Chamber Ensemble.

"Chopin's Piano Concertos are among his first and most significant points of departure, a marked liberation from the constraints of an early but short-lived respect for custom and tradition… I would say that the excep- tional nature of this Chopin recording lies in the combination of the chamber music, quintet slimmed-down version of the Piano Concertos complemented by a pianist who plays with an almost epic size and grandeur." - Bryce Morrison, C.2021

Emmanuel Despax has gained worldwide recognition as a singular artist, whose interpretations bring a rare sincerity and imagination to the music.

Chineke! was founded in 2015 by the double bass player, Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, to provide career oppor- tunities for established and up-and-coming Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. The Chineke! Chamber Ensemble comprises the principal players of the Chineke! Orchestra.

★★★★ "[The result] is entrancing, with piano and string quintet intimately interweaving, adding extra strength and beauty to scores already potent enough with their melodic riches and romantic allure. And if you imagine the results might be rather dainty, you don't know Emmanuel Despax. Coming after the eloquent string players' long introduction to the First Concerto, Despax's opening statement arrives like a blast of dynamite. Though he sinks happily into meltingly lovely reverie when Chopin's intentions allow, he's driven mostly by dark energy and muscular strength. In doing so, Despax reveals to us the music of a 20-year-old already stretching beyond decorative brilliance towards the powerful expression of contradictory, sometimes troubling emotions…I didn't miss the full orchestra at all" - The Times