The focus of Chopin’s concertos is always on the virtuosity of the soloist, whereas the orchestra’s function is to provide the accompaniment. Latterly, conductors tried to make the orchestration sound much more complex and colourful. This Hans Rosbaud recording, however, finds him scrupulously following the score's original intentions, with single-instrument tonal colours especially shown to their best advantage.

Hans Richter-Haaser (1912–1980) hailed from Braunschweig. He held a piano lectureship at the Braunschweig Academy before moving to Detmold. From there he pursued a busy concert career in Germany and abroad, especially in the USA. His specialist field was classical and early Romantic repertoire.

Nikita Magaloff (1912–1992) was born in St. Petersburg. After the October Revolution his family first moved to Finland and later to Paris. From 1949 Magaloff lived in Switzerland, where he taught at the Geneva Academy. He was not only a renowned Chopin interpreter, but also a keen chamber musician.

Mono recordings, 1951 & 1961