Milestones of Musical Romanticism 4
M. Zachary Johnson
March 23, 2005
-Tchaikovsky Concertos-
It is hard to imagine any work as quintessentially romantic as Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. The unforgettable "big tunes," the lush orchestration, the tremendous climaxes, the vigorous rhythms of this piece and its overall seamless integrity make it irresistibly expressive.
An eloquent passage in Ayn Rand’s *The Fountainhead* gives an indication of the emotional meaning of the concerto. We read of a young man, recently graduated from college, walking through the woods and thinking “only that he had wished to find joy and reason and meaning in life--and that none had been offered to him anywhere.”
The boy "had always wanted to write music, and he could give no other identity to the thing he sought. If you want to know what it is, he told himself, listen to the first phrases of Tchaikovsky's First Concerto--or the last movement of Rachmaninoff's Second. Men have not found the words for it nor the deed nor the thought, but they have found the music. Let me see that in one single act of man on earth. Let me see it made real. Let me see the answer to the promise of that music. Not servants nor those served; not altars and immolations; but the final, the fulfilled, innocent of pain. Don't help me or serve me, but let me see it once, because I need it. Don't work for my happiness, my brothers--show me yours--show me that it is possible--show me your achievement--and the knowledge will give me courage for mine."
Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is another quintessentially romantic composition. The work is tremendously challenging for the performer, and some of the initial criticism of the composition focuses on that fact alone. Music critic Eduard Hanslick wrote: "The violin is no longer played: it is yanked about, it is torn asunder, it is beaten black and blue." Hanslick was a formalist, who believed that music is pure form and structure without connection to content pertaining to feelings. It is not surprising that he hated this tremendously exciting, virtuosic, passionate concerto; and it is not surprising that audiences love it.
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto and Violin Concerto are available together on a disc from Sony Classics at a bargain price. Emil Gilels plays the Piano Concerto with just the dramatic flair it demands. David Oistrakh plays the Violin Concerto; his playing avoids flashiness and any scratchiness or harshness of sound associated with "beating the violin black and blue," in favor of finesse and a warm, expressive quality of tone.
To purchase this recording (priced under $7) and to see other recommendations in the "Milestones of Musical Romanticism" series visit:
http://www.tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=995
It is hard to imagine any work as quintessentially romantic as Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. The unforgettable "big tunes," the lush orchestration, the tremendous climaxes, the vigorous rhythms of this piece and its overall seamless integrity make it irresistibly expressive.
An eloquent passage in Ayn Rand’s *The Fountainhead* gives an indication of the emotional meaning of the concerto. We read of a young man, recently graduated from college, walking through the woods and thinking “only that he had wished to find joy and reason and meaning in life--and that none had been offered to him anywhere.”
The boy "had always wanted to write music, and he could give no other identity to the thing he sought. If you want to know what it is, he told himself, listen to the first phrases of Tchaikovsky's First Concerto--or the last movement of Rachmaninoff's Second. Men have not found the words for it nor the deed nor the thought, but they have found the music. Let me see that in one single act of man on earth. Let me see it made real. Let me see the answer to the promise of that music. Not servants nor those served; not altars and immolations; but the final, the fulfilled, innocent of pain. Don't help me or serve me, but let me see it once, because I need it. Don't work for my happiness, my brothers--show me yours--show me that it is possible--show me your achievement--and the knowledge will give me courage for mine."
Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is another quintessentially romantic composition. The work is tremendously challenging for the performer, and some of the initial criticism of the composition focuses on that fact alone. Music critic Eduard Hanslick wrote: "The violin is no longer played: it is yanked about, it is torn asunder, it is beaten black and blue." Hanslick was a formalist, who believed that music is pure form and structure without connection to content pertaining to feelings. It is not surprising that he hated this tremendously exciting, virtuosic, passionate concerto; and it is not surprising that audiences love it.
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto and Violin Concerto are available together on a disc from Sony Classics at a bargain price. Emil Gilels plays the Piano Concerto with just the dramatic flair it demands. David Oistrakh plays the Violin Concerto; his playing avoids flashiness and any scratchiness or harshness of sound associated with "beating the violin black and blue," in favor of finesse and a warm, expressive quality of tone.
To purchase this recording (priced under $7) and to see other recommendations in the "Milestones of Musical Romanticism" series visit:
http://www.tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=995
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