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Tchaikovsky's piano concerto No. 1, in B flat Minor, was completed on February 21st, 1875 and had its first performance on October 25th, 1875, in Boston. It's scored for solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tympani, and strings. The story of this piano concerto and its ultimate rejection by the man to whom it was dedicated is, perhaps, one of the most famous tales in all of classical music. Tchaikovsky had achieved no little fame and certain success by 1874, so it was late in this year that he decided to try his hand at writing a piano concerto. This was the genre in which Mozart - and later Beethoven - reigned supreme, so it was with some trepidation that he started work on his masterpiece. Tchaikovsky's account of it gives the impression of a man tortured by his work; both fighting himself and the necessity to "hammer passages . . . out of my brain." This piece proved to be one of the greatest challenges of his life. The melodies didn't come so easily as earlier in life, and he spent long nights "walking up and down the room for hours" waiting for the musical ideas to form in his mind. Having suffered through these agonizing weeks of creation, it was with great excitement that Tchaikovsky presented his piano concerto to Nicholas Rubinstein, the man to whom it was dedicated, at the Petersburg Conservatory in the early days in January of 1875. Rubinstein was not pleased. He said not a single word; absolute silence. "Well?" Tchaikovsky asked. At this, Rubenstein burst forth with a torrent of criticism, "It's worthless and unplayable . . . bad, trivial, vulgar . . . Only one or two pages have any value!" Rubenstein then told him that he might perform the concerto if Tchaikovsky would alter the score to meet his specifications. Angry and annoyed at Rubenstein's total distaste for the piano concerto into which he poured his heart and soul, the composer curtly replied: "I shan't alter a note. I shall publish it as it stands." With that, he crossed Rubinstein's name off the title page and re-dedicated the great piano concerto to Hans von Bülow, a pianist who had only recently discovered Tchaikovsky's genius. Von Bülow was ecstatic, proclaiming the concerto to be "lofty, strong, and original." Von Bülow had been planning a trip to America for a tour during the fall of 1875 so he offered to study the concerto and perform its premiere in late October. The first performance was held in Boston, followed closely on its heels by a performance in New York. The verdict was unanimous: The audience loved it. They demanded encores of the Finale, and although the critics were not as easily pleased, they were hushed by the outpouring of enthusiasm by the public. Even Rubinstein was forced to recant his earlier condemnation of the piano concerto and performed it on many occasions. Then came the landmark performance of the 20th century. The performance is set on the backdrop of the Second World War. The Allies had commenced a drive against the Axis Afrika Corps in Tunisia but only a scant few miles were gained in the northern region. Repeated United States air raids were made in the Solomans, reported the New York Times. On this historical afternoon, a concert took place which was, and still is, the only one of its kind. The concert-goers that night were admitted to the performance not by the usual concert ticket, but by purchasing War Bonds. The generous performers who gave this outstanding concert, and who went without being paid a single dime for their troubles, were Vladimir Horowitz and Arturo Toscanini. They were the front end, as it were, of the NBC Symphony. This was to be an all-Tchaikovsky program. Eleven million dollars was raised. "None of us in Carnagie Hall that afternoon has ever forgotten that hour. The electricity and excitement always present in a Toscanini or a Horowitz concert were charged with enormous voltage, an emotion that derived from the high purpose of the event. "This emotion must in turn have acted on the artists. The secret of an exceptionally great musical performance lies in an interaction in which the music, the artist and the audience itself each plays a part. How this greatness comes about, what is the alchemy that fuses the various elements, no one can explain. One can only feel it when it happens. So it was that the performance of Tchaikovsky piano concerto, a performance which was familiar to many in the audience and had arouse them to enthusiasm previously, this time took on an extra measure of inspiration. The response to it was almost one of frenzy." - George R. Marek It is an important performance to hear. Many thanks to Joe Moreno. Visit his page: Mozart Experience/Beethoven Experience |
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1998-9 by Gretchen Lamb |