Vladimir Ashkenazy plays Chopin

Two days before his legendary recital at the Royal Festival Hall in London, recorded live by Decca, Vladimir Ashkenazy gave another concert, shot by his friend Christopher Nupen. The recital took place in a very uncommon venue - in front of the student body of the University of Essex, in England. He played the same program, completely dedicated to Chopin.

Vladimir Ashkenazy was the formidable pianist prodigy, second prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (1955), first prize at the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition the year after, and finally, first prize at the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1962. Here he is flimed, in 1972, at the top of his career as a pianist, a very fertile period for recordings and concerts.