The second movement, Canzonetta: Andante, is somewhat shadowed by the first movement, albeit it never loses the melancholic quality. As in the second movement of the Piano Concerto no. 1, woodwind instrument is used to evoke a kind of serenity typical of Tchaikovsky. Originally the tune is sad (probably due to the minor key), but after reaching the middle, the key changes to major, and the freshness returns. Pay attention to the touching melody -- you will wonder how come Tchaikovsky could churn out such beautiful tune every time he composed. And by requesting the soloist to change positions all the time, the slidings on the strings while changing notes are clearly audible. These only add to the ornamental quality of the whole movement, like picking the most emotional feeling in the heart. Then the violin continues till a low note, dragging along with the murmur of the background orchestra. And lo! With a sudden loud chord, the third movement, Allegro Vivacissimo, begins without a stop.
The violin plays the A note on the G string (the lowest string), creating an introduction to what will come, and then it starts off rapidly. Listening to the music is like racing with the tune itself because as the notes get higher on the violin, you feel that the music is getting faster although it is not. The background orchestra races with the violin as well, so the overall impact is fantastic -- a thrilling fight between the soloist and the orchestra. After the rapid melody, the second theme is developed, another Russian folk-like tune. Tchaikovsky is a master in creating ear-soothing tunes in which in this movement they are in abundance.
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