When Ignacy Jan Paderewski withdrew from the concert stage to devote himself to the creation of the first independent Polish state, he was already a living legend. A brilliant pianist, Paderewski had toured the world dazzling his audiences with his extraordinary virtuosity. He later turned his attention to composition, achieving his greatest success with a series of piano works, including the famous Minuet. The Piano Concerto and the Polish Fantasy demonstrate the composer’s phenomenal keyboard technique, while the extensive Overture demonstrates Paderewski’s gift for colourful orchestration.