Margarita Höhenrieder (piano), Orchestra La Scintilla, Orchester Wiener Akademie, Riccardo Minasi, Martin Haselböck

 For years, Margarita Höhenrieder was searching for the authentic sound of Frédéric Chopin's piano works. Which instrument of its time most convincingly reflected Chopin's music? Chopin himself had given the answer in 1831: "Pleyel's instruments are the non plus ultra"!

The choice for the recording therefore fell on a Pleyel fortepiano, built in Paris in 1848 and expertly restored using historical materials and methods. It is absolutely identical in construction to the instrument that Chopin owned, and thus represents an authentic sound testimony.

For acoustic reasons of the sound of the original instruments, the Oberstrass church in Zurich (1st piano concerto) and the Vienna Musikverein in Vienna (2nd piano concerto) were chosen as recording venues.

The orchestras "La Scintilla" conducted by Riccardo Minasi and the "Wiener Akademie" conducted by Martin Haselböck also played on historical instruments. We hear in each case the historical versions by Jan Ekier.

Margarita Höhenrieder's careful recreation of the authentic Chopin sound gives the listener highly interesting insights into music history.

• Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
• Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21