I wrote my first piano concerto in 1926. I regard it as a successful work, although its texture is slightly difficult—indeed one might say very difficult—both for the orchestra and for the audience. This is why in my second piano concerto, some years later (1930–31) I wanted to write a kind of complementary piece to the first, with fewer difficulties for the orchestra, and more attractive in its thematic material. This is the reason for the lighter tone and more popular cut of most of its themes. In its light-heartedness it is sometimes almost reminiscent of one of the works of my youth, the orchestral suite Op. 3 (1905).