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TH 59

Violin Concerto

Скрипичное концерт

D major, Op. 35 (1878).

  1. Allegro moderato (D major).
  2. Canzonetta. Andante (G minor).
  3. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo (D major).
  • Composed March 1878.
  • Scored for Violin solo; 2 Flutes; 2 Oboes; 2 Clarinets (A); 2 Bassoons; 4 Horns (F); 2 Trumpets (D); Timpani; Violins I; Violins II; Violas; Violoncellos; Double Basses
  • Also arranged for violin with piano by Tchaikovsky, March 1878.
  • First performed in Vienna, 22 November/4 December 1881, by Adolf Brodsky, conducted by Hans Richter.
  • Dedicated to Adolf Brodsky (originally Leopold Auer).
  • Average duration: 35m

History

Early in 1878, Tchaikovsky was staying at Clarens as a guest of his former student, the violinist Iosif Kotek. Together with Kotek, he played thorough a large selection from the violin repertoire, and in particular the French composer Lalo's Symphonie espagnol which it seems inspired him to write a violin concerto [1].

On 5/17 March Tchaikovsky wrote to Nadezhda von Meck: "This evening I was seized ... quite unexpectedly with a burning inspiration..." [2]. He set aside his Piano Sonata, on which he had been working at the time, and began composition of the Violin Concerto [3]. In a letter to Nadezhda von Meck of 7/19 March, Tchaikovsky noted that for the first time in the life he had begun a new composition before completing the previous one. "On this occasion I could not overcome my desire to make rough sketches for a concerto, and afterwards became so carried away that I abandoned work on the sonata" [4]. In all his letters from this period, the composer remarks that he is carried away with work on the concerto, which, notwithstanding its novelty of form, came very easily to him. On 10 March, i.e. after five days, Tchaikovsky finished the first movement of the concerto; on 11 March he began the second movement (Andante), and on 14 March he told Nadezhda von Meck that he had "reached the finale" ands the concerto would soon be ready [5]. On 16/28 March 1878, Tchaikovsky wrote: "Today I finished the concerto. It still has to be copied out and played through a few times... and then to be orchestrated. I shall start the copying out and add the finishing touches" [6]. The following day he began to make the fair copy [7].

After playing through the concerto with Iosif Kotek, Tchaikovsky decided to write a new Andante, though the first movement and finale were considered satisfactory [8]. On 24 March, Tchaikovsky wrote the new Andante, which in his words was: "better suited to the concerto's other two movements". He decided to add two other violin pieces to the original Andante (which was restyled Méditation) to form the cycle Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42) [9].

Therefore, by 24 March all the sketches were ready, including the new Andante, and the piano arrangement of the first movement. In a letter of 24 March, Tchaikovsky told Nadezhda von Meck: "Today my concerto might be called completely finished. Tomorrow I shall launch myself into the full score, and aim to finish this while the work is still fresh in my thoughts". On 30 March/11 April the full score was ready [10].

After some vacillation over whom should be the dedicatee of the concerto - Iosif Kotek or Leopold Auer - Tchaikovsky decided upon the latter [11].

The first performance of the concerto was scheduled for 10 March 1879 at a concert of the Russian Musical Society in Saint Petersburg, to be performed by Leopold Auer [12]. But Auer and Karl Davydov declared that it was too difficult, and the performance of the concerto did not take place. Attempts by Iosif Kotek and Emile Sauret to play the concerto in Moscow were also unsuccessful. The concerto gained a reputation as unplayable, and no-one would perform it [13]. The concerto was performed for the first time in 1879 [in the version for violin with piano] in New York by the violinist Leopold Damrosch (the exact date of the performance is not known) [14].

In Europe, and later in Russia, the first performer and advocate of the concerto was Adolf Brodsky. Enraptured by the concerto, Brodsky introduced it to Vienna, at a special Novitätenprobe [15], conducted by Hans Richter. After the preliminary hearing, it was approved for performance at a Philharmonic Concert on 22 November/8 December 1881. Its success was sensational, despite an unfavourable reception by parts of the audience. The critics behaved with hostility to the work, particularly the well-known critic Eduard Hanslick. Nevertheless, the concerto attracted considerable attention, and Brodsky received offers for concerts in the following season [16].

The concerto's standing was affirmed by its performance by Adolf Brodsky in London at a " Richter Concert" on 26 April/8 May 1882. Tchaikovsky was impressed by Brodsky's audacity, the young violinist having dared to appear before the Viennese public with a new work by a Russian composer. The composer withdrew the original dedication to Leopold Auer, and replaced it with one to Adolf Brodsky [17]

In Russia, the Violin Concerto was performed for the first time on 8 August 1882 at a concert in the Art and Industrial Exhibition, by Adolf Brodsky, conducted by Ippolit Al'tani [18]. The concerto had exceptional success.

The concerto was published by Petr Jurgenson - the arrangement for violin with piano in October 1979; the orchestral parts in August 1879; and the full score in June 1888 [19].

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 324-326
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

Notes:
  1. See letter 777 to Nadezhda von Meck, 3/15 March 1878, and letter 769 to Anatolii Tchaikovsky, 25 February/9 March 1878 [back]
  2. Letter 778 to Nadezhda von Meck, 5/17 March 1878 [back]
  3. See letters 776 and 779 to Anatolii Tchaikovsky, 3/15 and 6/18 March 1878 [back]
  4. Letter 780 to Nadezhda von Meck, 7/19 March 1878 [back]
  5. See letters 782 and 787 to Nadezhda von Meck, 10/22 March and 14/26 March 1878, and letter 783 to Anatolii Tchaikovsky, 11/22 March 1878 [back]
  6. See letter 790 to Nadezhda von Meck, 16/28 March 1878 [back]
  7. See letter 791 to Anatolii Tchaikovsky, 16/28-18/30 March 1878 [back]
  8. See letters 795 and 797 to Anatolii Tchaikovsky, 20 March/1 April and 23 March/4 April 1878 [back]
  9. See letter 798 to Nadezhda von Meck, 24 March/5 April 1878 [back]
  10. See letter 803 to Nadezhda von Meck, 30 March/11 April 1878, and the author’s date on the manuscript full score [back]
  11. See letters 865 and 870 to Petr Jurgenson, 1/13 and 12/24 July 1878 [back]
  12. See letter 1132 to Nadezhda von Meck, 6/18 March 1879 [back]
  13. See letter 1916 to Nadezhda von Meck, 22-23 December 1881/3-4 January 1882 [back]
  14. See letter from Nadezhda von Meck to Tchaikovsky, 27 December 1881/8 January 1882, and Московские ведомости, 20 December 1881 [back]
  15. A preliminary hearing for new works [back]
  16. See letters from Adolf Brodsky to Tchaikovsky, January-June 1882 - Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
  17. See letter 1904 to Lev Kupernik, 1/13 December 1881; letter 1914 to Petr Jurgenson, 15/27 December 1881; letter 1916 to Nadezhda von Meck, 22-23 December 1881/3-4 January 1882; and letter 1924 to Adolf Brodsky, 1/13 January 1882 [back]
  18. See letter 2028 to Petr Jurgenson, 24 May/5 June 1882; letter 2071 to Sergei Taneev, 28 July/9 August 1882; letters 2073 and 2076 to Nadezhda von Meck, 3/15 and 11/23 August 1882 [back]
  19. See letter 828 to Petr Jurgenson, 15/27 May 1878, and Petr Jurgenson’s letter to Tchaikovsky, 15/27 June 1879 [back]
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