Piano Concerto No. 2 (Tchaikovsky)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44, was written in 1879-1880 and dedicated to Nikolai Rubinstein. Nikolai Rubinstein was never destined to play it, however, as he died in March 1881. The premiere performance took place in New York, on 12 November 1881. The soloist was Madeline Schiller, and Theodore Thomas conducted the New York Philharmonic. [ [http://www.naxosdirect.com/title/8557824/] , [http://classicalmanac.blogspot.com/2005_11_06_archive.html] , [http://composersdatebook.publicradio.org/listings/datebook_20011119.shtml] , [http://www.slso.org/notes/03-10-2005.htm] ] The first Russian performance was in Moscow in May 1882 [Some sources say 22 May; others say 30 May] , conducted by Anton Rubinstein with Tchaikovsky's pupil, Sergei Taneyev, at the piano.

Composition

By 1879 the First Piano Concerto was becoming increasingly popular. Nikolai Rubinstein had likewise made amends by learning and performing the work, which added that much more to its popularity. Tchaikovsky felt compelled to reciprocate. He started composing a new piano concerto in October while staying with his sister in Kamenka, writing his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck, "I want to dedicate it to N.G. Rubinstein in recognition of his magnificent playing of my First Concerto and of my Sonata, which left me in utter rapture after he performed it for me in Moscow."

The writing went quickly. By the following March, Tchaikovsky had completed the concerto and orchestrated it. Still, he was concerned about Rubinstein's reaction, writing von Meck, "I tremble at the thought of the criticisms I may again hear from Nikolai Grigoryevich, to whom this concerto is dedicated. Still, even if once more he does criticise yet nevertheless goes on to perform it brilliantly as with the First Concerto, I won't mind. It would be nice, though, if on this occasion the period between the criticism and the performance were shorter. In the meantime I am very pleased and self-satisfied about this concerto, but what lies ahead -- I cannot say."

The composer need not have worried. Rubinstein's reaction was this time understandably cautious. He suggested tactfully that perhaps the solo part was episodic, too much engaged in dialogue with the orchestra than standing in the foreground, but adding, "... as I say all this, having scarcely played the concerto once through, perhaps I am wrong." Tchaikovsky rejected Rubinstein's criticism, but without any rancour whatsoever. In fact, when Tchaikovsky received news of Rubinstein's death in March 1881, he was devastated and left immediately from Paris to attend the funeral. The first Russian performance was entrusted to Tchaikovsky's friend and former pupil Sergei Taneyev, but the concerto had its world premiere in November 1881 in New York.

Instrumentation

The work is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B-flat and A, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in D, timpani, solo piano, and strings. Notable is the absence of trombones and tuba .

Form

The piano concerto consists of three movements:
*"Allegro brillante e molto vivace"
*"Andante non troppo"
*"Allegro con fuoco"

The second movement contains prominent solos for the violin and cello, making the work in effect a concerto for piano trio and orchestra briefly, though an edition by Alexander Siloti was once often played which removed large sections of the work, including those solos.

References

*John Warrack, "Tchaikovsky Symphonies and Concertos" (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1969)
* [http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/en/Works/Concertos/TH060/index.html Information about the Piano Concerto no. 2]

Footnotes

External links

*IMSLP2|id=Piano_Concerto_No.2%2C_Op.44_%28Tchaikovsky%2C_Pyotr_Ilyich%29|cname=Piano Concerto No. 2