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Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35 (Part I)

© Yen Loong Teoh

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), is considered to be the greatest Romantic Period composer. He led a tragic life, concealing his then unaccepted homosexuality inside his burning heart. Married to Antonini Ivanova Milioukov, his former pupil, Tchaikovsky's marriage was a total failure as what he did was merely to hide his sexual inclination. He tried to commit suicide over this ill-fated marriage, and faced depression to the fullest. If it was a woman who ruined Tchaikovsky's life, what brought him back to life again was another woman. Then came Madame Nadezhda von Meck, a benefactress who supported Tchaikovsky during his productive period and became his closest friend. Their relationship started abruptly, and it ended abruptly as well. Throughout the years, they communicated through letters, pouring out their most intimate feelings on papers, yet they never met in their lives. Certainly their relationship was the strangest in music history.

It is no wonder why Tchaikovsky wrote melancholic and extremely emotional masterpieces -- his life was just another tragic part of his music, or we should say his music is just another tragic part of his life. From the greatest romantic symphony, the Pathetique Symphony to the Piano Concerto no. 1 in b minor, Tchaikovsky created heart-felt melodies with unsurpassed emotional depth. Yet his only violin concerto is an exception -- the overall feeling is full of gaiety and sunshine.

Tchaikovsky began writing his violin concerto in 1878. In fact he was so excited about his composition that he wrote to Madame von Meck, "For the first time in my life I have begun to work at a new piece before finishing the one on hand... I could not resist the pleasure of sketching out the concerto, and allowed myself to be so carried away that the sonata has been set aside."

Tchaikovsky was unaware of the physical limitations of the instrument, so his former student/friend, Yosif Yosifovich, provided technical advice for the concerto. Upon completion the concerto was dedicated to the great Hungarian violinist Leopold Auer (the teacher of the violinist of 20th century, Jascha Heifetz). Yet Leopold Auer rejected to play the concerto because of so many virtuoso showpieces that had exceeded the ability of the soloist. Then, a second soloist, Yosif Kotek, attempted to learn it but dropped the project too. Three years passed, finally Adolf Brodsky decided to play it. Of course Tchaikovsky changed his dedicatee to Adolf Brodsky. After the premiere, there were mixed reactions among the critics. Mostly they were devastating, as viciously stated by Eduard Hanslick:

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