However, he later abandoned his stance and personally endorsed the composition. The composition is scored for an orchestra and piano. The instrumentation includes flutes 2 , oboes 2 , clarinets in B-flat 2 , horns in F 4 , bassoons 2 , trombones 3, including bass and 2 tenors , strings, timpani, cellos, and violins. However, Tchaikovsky remained unperturbed. He blatantly refused to alter the concerto and orchestrated it in January Tchaikovsky decided to make certain modifications after the first staged performance took place in Moscow.
In , the full score was published, including the changes Tchaikovsky had made. For some time, there remained marked differences between the published arrangement and the printed score for two pianos. The late s saw Tchaikovsky collaborating with a German publishing firm to work on the third version of the concerto. About one minute in, Tchaikovsky subtly introduces a melody in the strings that will eventually become the theme that concludes the concerto in heroic style.
To get there, the soloist has a gauntlet of double octaves to run. It kind of feels like homecoming after a long journey given how similar it is to the very beginning of the concerto in the sense that it's extremely grandioso and maestoso. However, there is an added feeling of triumph, too, this time around. Yang considers the final 10 pages of the score to be among the most exciting moments in classical music. Everything from the famous octave passage in addition to the one in the first movement to the grandioso full-blown presentation of the main theme to the almost presto-like ending it's actually allegro vivo, but it feels more like a presto to me makes for a thrilling conclusion to this phenomenally written concerto.
Yang plays Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. Also on the program: works by Humperdinck, Borodin and McPherson. Details here. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open.
Despite their kindness and occasional financial assistance, the brothers Rubinstein often privately voiced severe reservations about the abilities of their pupil. In , shortly after completing his Symphony No.
Quite naturally, he dedicated the work to Nikolai Rubinstein, and he eagerly performed it privately for his mentor the moment he finished the solo part. It was a disaster. Nikolai, upset at not being consulted on technical matters, sat in absolute silence for several minutes and then subjected Tchaikovsky to extraordinarily severe criticism.
He suggested so many changes that carrying them out would have meant a complete rewriting of the work. Rubinstein later changed his mind about the concerto and eventually made it a staple of his repertoire. Tchaikovsky, for his part, recovered from his pique and thoroughly revised the piano part in There are elaborate difficulties for the soloist, and many of these passages are virtually inaudible.
From a purely formal standpoint, the work is severely flawed. It simply stands by itself as a grandiose statement bearing no relationship to what will follow. What does follow, however, is often ingenious, as in the way the second movement functions as both a lyrical slow movement and a scherzo.
Despite its flaws and difficult creation, the work has become one of the most popular concertos ever written. Enjoy our concerts?
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