Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 is one my favorites, and I always welcome the opportunity to perform it whenever asked. I’m also interested in how music is made, how a work comes into being. What usually comes to mind is a composer laboring in solitude, sometimes for a period of years, to realize and perfect their personal vision. But the story of this piece surprised me. Tchaikovsky revised this work three times over a number of years. In this case, it was hearing the work performed, and the criticism and suggestions from prominent pianists that informed the composer.
Tchaikovsky began composing the Piano Concerto No.1 in November of 1874, and had completed an arrangement for two pianos by that December. Hoping that the famed pianist and conductor Nikolai Rubinstein would agree to premiere the work, Tchaikovsky played the first movement for him and a friend just three days after completing it. Their criticism was both detailed and unvarnished, leaving Tchaikovsky to exclaim “I shall not alter a single note,” … “I shall publish the work exactly as it is!”.
Pianist Hans von Bülow was approached to perform the premiere of the concerto on October 25, 1875 in Boston. It was such a success with the audience that they were obliged to repeat the Finale. But critics disagreed, one writing the piece was “hardly destined… to become classical”. But the work fared better at its next performance under Leopold Damrosch on November 22, in New York City.
The Russian premiere took place in St. Petersburg that November with pianist Gustav Kross as soloist, however Tchaikovsky felt his performance was “an atrocious cacophony “ Only a few weeks later, the Moscow premiere featured pianist Sergei Taneyev, with no other but Nikolai Rubinstein conducting. After being so harshly critical a year earlier, Rubinstein had a complete change of mind about the concerto. He became a champion of the work, performing the piece numerous times throughout Europe.
The piece was published in it’s original form in 1875. However, after hearing numerous performances during 1876, Tchaikovsky began to accept the advice of two prominent pianists who had played it that would improve his writing for the piano. Notably different was the opening of the concerto. Where the piano originally played block chords, they were now arpeggiated. Tchaikovsky was to revise the concerto again in 1879, and once more in 1888.
This is the version that we know and enjoy to this day. Listen to my take on the first and second movements!