Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102, by Dmitri Shostakovich was composed in 1957 for the 19th birthday of his son Maxim, who premiered the piece during his graduation concert at the Moscow Conservatory. It contains many similar elements to Shostakovich's Concertino for Two Pianos: both works were written to be accessible for developing young pianists.[1] It is an uncharacteristically cheerful piece, much more so than most of Shostakovich's works.
The second movement presents two different themes that are in variation form. Strings start gently in C minor, with a short introduction before the piano comes in with a triplet theme in C major. Although it remains slow throughout, and works within a comparatively small range, it is marked by the recurrence of two- or four-on-three rhythms.
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