In this story
- A swiftly prepared 1968 session and a slow movement 2
- The name ‘Romance’ given by Chopin
- What it actually means for the piano to sing
- Rubato is not the art of slowing down at will
- Even a quiet song can contain a sudden shadow
- Three clues for remembering the long melody
- What to know before hearing Chopin's Larghetto
The short answer
Martha Argerich recorded Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado. Movement 2 is a Romance–Larghetto, in which a long solo-piano melody rests on the orchestra's gentle foundation. To say that ‘the piano sings’ is not to say that every note is simply prolonged. It means that the right-hand melody shapes a direction as if breathing, while the left hand and orchestra preserve its flow.
Three steps for hearing the Larghetto sing
- The recording brings together Argerich as soloist, Abbado as conductor and the London Symphony Orchestra.
- In movement 2, the destination of the long line and its ornaments matters more than fast virtuosity.
- Rubato does not abolish the pulse. It is the elasticity with which a melody moves slightly ahead or lingers while the accompaniment preserves the underlying flow.
Into the story
A swiftly prepared 1968 session and a slow movement 2
The album was recorded with Martha Argerich as soloist, Claudio Abbado conducting and the London Symphony Orchestra. Preparations in London moved quickly on 12 February 1968, and four sessions captured concertos by Chopin and Liszt.
The speed of the production schedule and the music's tempo are separate matters. In this Larghetto, listen for where each sentence ends and how the orchestra keeps the larger pulse while the piano lingers. Separating the pace of the sessions from the impression of the performance makes its audible choices easier to describe accurately.
The name ‘Romance’ given by Chopin
Chopin's Concerto in E minor, Op. 11, comprises movement 1, Allegro maestoso; movement 2, Romance; and movement 3, Rondo. The tempo marking of movement 2 is Larghetto.
There is no need to turn the Romance into a love story with a fixed plot. What reaches the ear first is an intimate manner of speaking. The orchestra opens a space and the piano enters with a melody closer to a private thought than a grand address; ornaments circle the central line like embroidery around a sentence.
What it actually means for the piano to sing
Once a piano key is struck, the sound cannot grow by itself; it decays. Unlike a singer, a pianist cannot sustain one note with continuing breath, so the volume and timing of the next note create the impression that the previous one continues. This connection is the piano's ‘singing’.
When listening to Argerich's right hand, resist making a judgement about every isolated note and find the summit of the longer sentence. Notice which note the line gradually grows towards, how it releases after the peak and whether the ornaments come in front of the central melody. These observations make the phrasing concrete.
Rubato is not the art of slowing down at will
Rubato is often explained through the idea of ‘stolen’ time, but the pulse of the whole does not disappear. If the melody lingers on one note, it recovers its flow in the following phrase, while the left hand and orchestra retain the larger beat. Elasticity can be felt only against a point of reference.
To hear the coordination between Argerich and Abbado, listen together to the moments when the piano lingers and the orchestra's next entrance. Compare, passage by passage, whether the soloist or ensemble first indicates the direction; the adjustment of rubato within the concerto becomes audible.
Even a quiet song can contain a sudden shadow
Movement 2 does not remain at the same emotional temperature throughout. As the sound darkens and tension grows in the middle, the earlier gentle melody briefly takes on another expression. When the opening song returns, the contrast makes it feel not like a simple repetition but like a return carrying the time already passed.
On a first hearing, remember only three sections: ‘gentle opening–dark middle–returning song’. Next time, listen for the small change just before the middle and the altered ornamentation after the return. The movement's arc away from and back to its opening emotion becomes natural to follow.
Three clues for remembering the long melody
Wherever you encounter the music, it is fine if the title does not immediately come to mind. Keep three impressions—the piano's long melody, the orchestra's response and the change of sound in the middle—and they will become clues for the next hearing.
Mahina Vegan Table seeks to make classical music and dining coexist naturally. This journal continues with stories of composers, performers and musical structure, so that a melody encountered again anywhere can be heard with greater precision.
What to know before hearing Chopin's Larghetto
- What is the title of movement 2 in Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1?
- The movement title is Romance and the tempo marking is Larghetto. The combined form Romance–Larghetto is also used.
- Who are the conductor and orchestra in Argerich's recording?
- Claudio Abbado conducted the London Symphony Orchestra.
- How is rubato different from losing the beat?
- Rubato retains a larger pulse to which the music can return. Time spent lingering in one phrase finds its balance within the next flow, preserving the music's direction.
- May I begin with movement 2 on its own?
- Yes. Once the Larghetto's melody is familiar, movement 1's grand opening and the rondo of movement 3 make the concerto's wider contrasts easier to feel.
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