Full house and a standing ovation were waiting for Krystian Zimerman at the Royal Festival Hall for the first of Chopin's two big birthday concerts yesterday. Half of Poland seemed to be there, never mind half of London, while dignitaries, diplom

Heavens, it's grey and miserable out. Here's something wonderful to cheer us up: since people loved Krystian in the Chopin Third Ballade so much last week, here he is in the Second. 'Nuff said!

No music lover can have escaped the information that this is CHOPIN YEAR: the great man's bicentenary. (Along with Schumann's, of course, and there's a big deal about Mahler too, but they need separate attention.)