The Valse-Scherzo in C major, Op. 34, TH 58, is a work for violin and orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, written in 1877.
It is not to be confused with two similarly named works by Tchaikovsky, both for solo piano: one written in 1870 as Op. 7, [1] and one from 1889 without opus number. [2]
The origins of the Valse-Scherzo are somewhat mysterious. It seems to have been written in January-February 1877; this has been surmised from a letter of 3 February 1877 from Iosif Kotek to Tchaikovsky, which is the first documentary evidence of its existence. [3] Kotek was a violinist and former composition student of Tchaikovsky at the Moscow Conservatory, graduating in 1876. Around this time they almost certainly became lovers.
The work was dedicated to Kotek on its publication in 1878. [3] [4] In the meantime, Kotek had worked with Tchaikovsky on the Violin Concerto in D while visiting him in Clarens, Switzerland in 1877. Indeed, it was Kotek's visit that provided the direct inspiration for the concerto, as he brought with him the score of the recently published Symphonie espagnole by Édouard Lalo, which so impressed Tchaikovsky that he put aside the composition he had been working on (the Piano Sonata in G major) and immediately started to write a violin concerto of his own. With Kotek's technical assistance and feedback, the concerto was completed inside a month. Some sources have stated that Tchaikovsky had wanted to dedicate the concerto to Kotek but decided against this because of the questions this would raise as to the nature of the relationship between them (it was dedicated firstly to Leopold Auer, and later to Adolph Brodsky). The previously written Valse-Scherzo was the work that would be dedicated to Kotek. [5]
There are hints from Kotek's letters to Tchaikovsky that Kotek was given the honour of orchestrating the Valse-Scherzo, at least in part. But there is no mention of this in any of Tchaikovsky's correspondence. [3]
Its first performance was by the Polish violinist Stanisław Barcewicz on 20 September 1878, at a Russian Symphony Concert at the Trocadéro in Paris, France, under the baton of Nikolai Rubinstein, in conjunction with the 1878 Paris World Exposition. [3] [4] Barcewicz was a fellow student of Iosif Kotek's under Tchaikovsky, and it was he who in 1892 gave the Polish premiere of the Violin Concerto, under the composer's baton.
The second performance of the Valse-Scherzo, and its first performance in Russia, was a little over a year later, on 1/13 December 1879, again by Barcewicz and again conducted by Rubinstein, at a Russian Symphony Society Concert in Moscow. [3]
It was first published in 1878 by P. Jurgenson, in the composer's arrangement for violin and piano, and the orchestral parts were published the same year. The full score was not published until 1895, two years after Tchaikovsky's death. [3] [4]
The Valse-Scherzo has received many performances and recordings by violinists such as David Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan, Itzhak Perlman, Nathan Milstein, Midori, Gil Shaham, Boris Belkin, Ulf Hoelscher, Vadim Repin, Sarah Chang, Chloë Hanslip, James Ehnes, Leila Josefowicz and Julia Fischer. [6]
Sergei Nakariakov has recorded a version for trumpet and piano. [6]
The orchestration is 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B-flat, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in F and strings. [3] [4]
The Valse-Scherzo is written in A-B-A format plus a cadenza. It is marked Allegro. Tempo di Valse and takes about six minutes. While short, it makes great technical demands on the soloist. [7]
Mieczysław Karłowicz was a Polish composer and conductor.
The Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 was the only concerto for violin composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Composed in 1878, it is one of the best-known violin concertos.
Karl Yulievich Davydov was a Russian cellist, described by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as the "czar of cellists". He was also a composer, mainly for the cello. His name also appears in various different spellings: Davydov, Davidoff, Davidov, and more, with his first name sometimes written as Charles or Carl.
Henryk Wieniawski was a Polish virtuoso violinist, composer and pedagogue who is regarded amongst the greatest violinists in history. His younger brother Józef Wieniawski and nephew Adam Tadeusz Wieniawski were also accomplished musicians, as was his daughter Régine, who became a naturalised British subject upon marrying into the peerage and wrote music under the name Poldowski.
Sergei Mikhailovich Lyapunov was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor.
The Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op. 21, is a work for violin and orchestra by Édouard Lalo.
Ferdinand Laub was a Czech violinist and composer.
Le Baiser de la fée is a neoclassical ballet in one act and four scenes composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1928 and revised in 1950 for George Balanchine and the New York City Ballet. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's short story Isjomfruen, the work is an homage to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, for the 35th anniversary of the composer's death. Stravinsky elaborated several melodies from early piano pieces and songs by Tchaikovsky in his score. A commission by Ida Rubinstein from 1927, the ballet was choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska and premiered in Paris on 27 November 1928.
Paul Pabst was a pianist, composer, and Professor of Piano at Moscow Conservatory.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44, was written in 1879–1880 and dedicated to Nikolai Rubinstein, who had insisted he perform it at the premiere as a way of making up for his harsh criticism of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. But Rubinstein never played it, as he died in March 1881, and the work has never attained much popularity.
Orchestral Suite No. 1 in D minor is an orchestral suite, Op. 43, written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1878 and 1879. It was premiered on December 20, 1879 at a Russian Musical Society concert in Moscow, conducted by Nikolai Rubinstein. The piece is dedicated to Tchaikovsky's patroness, Nadezhda von Meck.
Max Erdmannsdörfer was a German conductor, pianist and composer.
Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42, is a set of three pieces for violin and piano, written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1878.
While the contributions of the Russian nationalistic group The Five were important in their own right in developing an independent Russian voice and consciousness in classical music, the compositions of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky became dominant in 19th century Russia, with Tchaikovsky becoming known both in and outside Russia as its greatest musical talent. His formal conservatory training allowed him to write works with Western-oriented attitudes and techniques, showcasing a wide range and breadth of technique from a poised "Classical" form simulating 18th century Rococo elegance to a style more characteristic of Russian nationalists or a musical idiom expressly to channel his own overwrought emotions.
Jan Hřímalý was an influential Czech violinist and teacher, who was associated with the Moscow Conservatory for 46 years in 1869–1915.
The Grand Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 37, was written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1878. Though initially received with critical acclaim, the sonata has struggled to maintain a solid position in the modern repertoire. Nevertheless, the sonata has been recorded numerous times and is recognized as one of the composer's masterworks. It is dedicated to Karl Klindworth.
Iosif Iosifovich Kotek, also seen as Josef or Yosif, was a Russian violinist and composer remembered for his association with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He assisted Tchaikovsky with technical difficulties in the writing of the solo part in his Violin Concerto in D. He was also probably his lover at some point, although he was not exclusively homosexual, making him bisexual.
The Sérénade mélancolique in B-flat minor for violin and orchestra, Op. 26, was written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in February 1875. It was his first work for violin and orchestra, and was written immediately after completing the Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor.
Stanisław Barcewicz was a noted Polish violinist, conductor and teacher. Although his repertoire included almost all of the classical and romantic violin literature, he was valued primarily for his interpretations of works by Henryk Wieniawski and Felix Mendelssohn. He also premiered works by his teacher Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, including the Polish premiere of the Violin Concerto in D. He played on a Guadagnini violin.
| Operas | |
|---|---|
| Ballets | |
| Symphonies |
|
| Concertante | |
| Orchestral works |
|
| Vocal music | |
| Chamber music | |
| Piano music | |
| Portrayals |
|
| People |
|
| Related | |
