Building a Collection #47
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
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“It gives us, for the first time, the hideous notion that there can be music which stinks to the ear.”
-Critic Eduardo Hanslick on Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto
We have arrived at #47 on our list of the top 250 classical works of all-time, and the second work thus far by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, namely his Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35. One of the most dramatic and fiendishly difficult concertos for violin, it’s a work which literally every great violin virtuoso must master and eventually record at least once. It is also one of my own personal favorites.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in 1840 in Votkinsk, Vlatka District, Russia and died in 1893 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Tchaikovsky was the composer of some of the most popular and enduring melodies and themes in classical music and is widely considered to be the greatest Russian composer ever. Although he lived through a time of tremendous change in musical styles, at heart he was a Romantic and his music is relatively traditional and conservative in style. He is not considered an innovator, but such was his musical genius that his appeal and communicative power lies with his ability to sweep us up in his melodic charm and depth of feeling. Tchaikovsky’s music spanned ballet, symphonic, orchestral, concerto, opera, vocal, chamber music, keyboard, and choral genres. The works that have generally garnered the most acclaim are his ballets, symphonies, orchestral works, and concertos.
Pyotr Ilyich began taking piano lessons at age four, and immediately showed tremendous talent. By the age of nine, however, his anxiety was so great that it significantly impeded his ability to play. Tchaikovsky was a sensitive young man by nature, and the loss of his mother when he was 14 was a crushing blow. While he pursued a legal career for a time, he was continually drawn back to music. In 1861 he began studying composition and harmony and enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Eventually he would study with the composer Anton Rubinstein.
In 1866, Tchaikovsky moved to Moscow to take up a teaching position at the new conservatory there. Shortly after taking the post he composed his First Symphony, but suffered a sort of nervous breakdown while composing it. Other early works appeared, the most notable being the ballet Swan Lake in 1875. During travels to Paris and Bayreuth, Tchaikovsky met Liszt, but was allegedly snubbed by Wagner. Swan Lake premiered in 1877, leading to greater notoriety and fame. During 1877-1878 Tchaikovsky also composed his Fourth Symphony, which was his first big symphonic breakthrough. He would go on to compose several other blockbuster classical works such as The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Piano Concerto no. 1, Symphonies 5 and 6 “Pathetique”, and Serenade for Strings.
It was also around the same time Tchaikovsky made the foolish decision to marry an admirer by the name of Antonina Ivanovna Milyukova. Most biographers and musicologists agree that Tchaikovsky was homosexual, so the marriage was certainly not a match. But neither was it happy in other ways, and after only a few short months the marriage ended. It was deeply humiliating for Tchaikovsky and led to a suicide attempt. Throughout the debacle, Tchaikovsky’s family remained supportive of him. It may have been the case that the failed marriage forced him to face his sexuality. In any case, he never blamed Antonina for the failure. Throughout he continued to correspond with and confide in a woman who was his largest benefactor and pen-pal, Nadezhda von Meck.
Over the years Tchaikovsky’s personal life has been the subject of intense debate and scrutiny, much of it concerning his sexuality. The stance of the Soviet censors was to portray him as heterosexual, and to get rid of any reference to his same-sex attractions. Such censorship has even continued into recent Russian propaganda. But it is well-established that Tchaikovsky sought out the company of men consistently, and that he was deeply in love with a man named Sergey Kireyev, a fellow jurisprudence student while in school. There is little doubt Tchaikovsky had strong same-sex feelings, as this can be found in his brother’s autobiography, as well as Tchaikovsky’s own letters that escaped Soviet censors.
What is less clear is how impactful the realization of his homosexuality was in Tchaikovsky’s life. David Brown, noted musicologist and biographer, says that he "felt tainted within himself, defiled by something from which he finally realized he could never escape". But Russian-American scholar Alexander Poznanskymaintains Tchaikovsky experienced little guilt over his sexual desires and "eventually came to see his sexual peculiarities as an insurmountable and even natural part of his personality ... without experiencing any serious psychological damage." The role that his sexuality played in his life and his music has recently been downplayed by many scholars.
It was during the year abroad after the end of his marriage when Tchaikovsky composed three of his most important works: the opera Eugene Onegin, his Fourth Symphony, and his only Violin Concerto.
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
Tchaikovsky composed the Violin Concerto in D majorin 1878 while staying in Clarens, Switzerland. After the Fourth Symphony premiere in Moscow in February 1878, back in Switzerland Tchaikovsky was visited by the young violinist Yosif Kotek. Due to his fondness for Kotek, the composer sketched out a violin concerto in only 11 days and finished the scoring for it just two weeks later. His brother Modest thought the second movement to be rather weak, and so Tchaikovsky even composed a replacement second movement in that timewhich eventually became the current Canzonettasecond movement.
While it would have made sense for Tchaikovsky to dedicate the new concerto to Kotek, he wanted to avoid any rumors about the nature of his relationship with the young violinist. In fact, it is quite likely he and Kotek were involved romantically at some point. In any case, Tchaikovsky dedicated the new concerto to the famous Hungarian violinist and teacher Leopold Auer. However, after looking at the concerto Auer allegedly declared it to be unplayable (in Auer’s defense he later reversed his position on the concerto, and indeed became one of the work’s greatest champions). The premiere took place in Vienna in December 1881 with Adolf Brodsky on violin with conductor Hans Richter. The orchestra had scarcely rehearsed, and thus the accompaniment was very poor. The critic Eduard Hanslick famously wrote, “It brings us to the revolting thought that there may be music that ‘stinks in the ear’”. And yet, in the same review, Hanslick wrote “the concerto has proportion, is musical, and is not without genius.” Leopold Auer would later make his own edits in the score, particularly cutting out some bars in the first movement and a large chunk of music in the final movement. Auer’s edition of the score was used for nearly the entire first half of the twentieth century until it became more common to use the full score.
The concerto is chock full of melody, and is structurally pleasing in the three movement proportions:
I. Allegro moderato (approximately 18 minutes)
II. Canzonetta: Andante (approximately 6 minutes)
III. Finale: Allegro vivacissimo (approximately 10 minutes)
As Roger Dettmer comments in the All Music Guide:
“In addition to its structural soundness, the concerto fairly teems with melodies, in such abundance that the orchestra’s gorgeous opening tune never returns! Therefore the soloist gets first crack at the rest of them, beginning with the “very moderate” principal theme. The second theme is marked molto espressivo, after which the main theme returns, before the development section that ends in a showy solo cadenza, followed by the reprise and coda. The slow movement is firmly lyrical, with a “little song” in ¾ time, also molto espressivo…without pause the final movement lifts off like an SST from the tarmac. It is a Trepak in rondo form, with two extroverted themes of folkloric character, capped by an extended coda that concludes the piece dervishly. No Russian composer before or since has ended a concerto with greater finesse or panache, not even Rachmaninov.”
Less than a week after concluding the score, Tchaikovsky was headed back to Russia. He was homesick. Not long after, Tchaikovsky made a declaration of loyalty to his homeland: “I passionately love the Russian element in all its manifestations…in a word, I am Russian in the fullest sense.”
The concerto has gone on to a storied history, becoming perhaps the most played and arguably the most popular violin concerto in all classical music. There are plenty of fireworks, and the soloist must be in total command to play every note and still bring out the lyrical quality in the score. The orchestral accompaniment is integral as well, and the concerto’s reputation as a showpiece is well-deserved. For the soloist and orchestra to stay in sync is no small feat. The virtuosity of the solo part, including the pushing and pulling of the violin in ways never heard before, is part of the work’s legacy.
Essential Recordings
In addition to being one of the most popular violin concertos in the repertoire, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is also one of the most recorded. A search online reveals hundreds of recordings. Once upon a time, I was obsessed with this concerto, listening to every possible version available to find the perfect one. There are countless excellent versions, and the devilish demands placed on the soloist don’t seem as daunting as they once did. I love this concerto, and feel like I know it by heart. But like every piece of great music, there are many ways to interpret it.
I must admit to another bias in my listening, particularly with this concerto. I favor recordings which capture the orchestral accompaniment equally well as the soloist. While it is true the soloist is the star, and much of the listener’s focus is on the solo part, for me the orchestral part is just as important.
The first of my two essential recordings of the concerto is by Soviet era violinist Leonid Kogan joined by the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris and conductor Constantin Silvestri, recorded in 1959 in Salle Wagram in Paris by EMI (now Warner). Kogan idolized the great violin prodigy Jascha Heifetz after attending several of Heifetz’s concerts in Moscow in 1934. Kogan began playing the violin quite early but began studies in earnest at the age of ten. By the age of 17 Kogan was performing in concerts throughout the Soviet Union, and his international career took off soon thereafter. He toured Europe and the United States, and from 1952 taught at the Moscow Conservatory.
Kogan shunned the limelight, being shy and reticent by nature, and did not receive the same level of promotion by the Soviets as his contemporary fellow countryman David Oistrakh. Kogan made precious few recordings outside the Soviet Union, but we are fortunate to have this one. Kogan’s playing is white-hot and intense, tightly held together and disciplined. But his playing here also has a wild character which captures the essence of the concerto for me. There is certainly an exacting and precise nature to his style, but also a feel for the folk song elements present in the music. It sounds as though Kogan has thrown down the gauntlet as if to say he is up for every challenge, nuance, and trick the concerto presents. He dives headfirst into the Finale with thrilling abandon, while the Canzonettasounds like it was written specifically for Kogan.
Silvestri’s accompaniment is with Kogan all the way, and even though the sound is a bit scratchy at times and there is some overload in louder tuttis, in the end this is a most satisfying recording. I put Kogan on a pedestal for this performance.
Maxim Vengerov was just 21 when he made his spectacular recording of the Tchaikovsky concerto with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for Teldec, and it is my second essential recording. I remember clearly purchasing this CD back in the 90s, and immediately being “wowed” by Vengerov’s playing and by the excellent sound quality. Vengerov was born in Novosibirsk, Western Siberia, Russia in 1974. In 1990 he was awarded first prize at the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition, and his international career was launched. At the time, Vengerov was one of the leading young violinists of his generation, and he soon made many recordings of the central violin repertoire. He appeared worldwide with all the major orchestras. His first teacher said of Vengerov, “A violinist like Maxim is born only once in a hundred years.” Vengerov has drawn comparisons with legendary violinist David Oistrakh in his ability to be equally adept with both the lyrical and technical aspects of the violin. This recording captures Vengerov at the height of his powers.
Vengerov’s star diminished over the years for various reasons, one being a shoulder injury he suffered in 2007 while weightlifting. After shoulder surgery andhaving to learn to play with a different technique, and also due to professional fatigue, he took a long hiatus from performing. Returning to performing around 2013, he also began to learn how to conduct due to the issues the injury caused to his playing. Once the highest paid violinist in the world, he now focuses mostly on conducting.
On this recording, the Berlin Philharmonic and the sound engineers really make the orchestra feel like they are just as essential as the violinist. The sound is up-close and detailed. You can hear the same disciplined ensemble the Berliners are known for, and in my opinion, this is one of Abbado’s best recordings.
While some claim the Tchaikovsky concerto requires more years and maturity to play well, some of the finest recordings come from quite young interpreters, including Vengerov on this recording. Technically dazzling but never mechanical, and bringing fresh musical insights, I am consistently captivated by Vengerov’s playing. There is plenty of showmanship to be sure, but Vengerov is also able to pull back when needed for more lyrical passages. His control is breathtaking. The orchestra is with him the entire way, matching his virtuosity. The cadenzas and the codas are thrilling as they should be. This recording is a triumph in every way, and I return to it often.
Recommended Recordings
There are many fine recordings of the Tchaikovsky concerto. The legendary Jascha Heifetz recording from 1957 is a desert island recording for many. For meHeifetz is certainly impressive but sounds too mechanical and I feel the concerto is played too fast. Others will disagree. Itzhak Perlman recorded the Tchaikovsky concerto at least three times commercially, and they are all impressive in their own ways. The incredible Russian violinist Vadim Repin, a contemporary of Vengerov, and somehow also from Novosibirsk in Siberia (!), has recorded it twice to great acclaim most notably with Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra. Other classic accounts by David Oistrakh, Nathan Milstein, Kyung Wha Chung, Gil Shaham, Pinchas Zukerman, and Joshua Bell are all very good. Recent excellent accounts from the younger generation of violinists such as Julia Fischer, Lisa Batiashvili, Vilde Frang, Hilary Hahn, Janine Jansen, Johan Dalene, Ray Chen, and Nemanja Radulovic also all have their champions. Below I have picked out those I would recommend without hesitation.
If you can find it, one of the best recordings is the French violinist and teacher Michele Auclair with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra led by Kurt Woess, a recording dating from 1950. I was able to find it on the iDAGIO streaming app, and you may be able to find it on vinyl. Recorded on a small independent label, and never consistently released thereafter, this recording was a huge find and a revelation. The sound is remarkably good for 1950, and Auclair has the full measure of this work. Her style is not showy, but rather always at the service of the music. It is a travesty she was never given more of an opportunity for wider release. Her playing is spontaneous, adventurous, and confident. The orchestral accompaniment is a bit rough and tumble but does the job. I recommend hearing this if you can.
The wonderful, underappreciated, and under recorded Israeli violinist Ivry Gitlis (1922-2020) recorded the concerto in 1954 with Vienna Symphony Orchestraled by Heinrich Hollreiser (available on Vox or Brilliant Classics) is for me one of the most thrilling and seat-of-your-pants recordings out there. Gitlis had the reputation for taking chances, not all of which paid off, but in this case they mostly do. Gitlis was an emotional musician, and his playing coming straight from the heart. While yes he could play all of the notes, he felt there was much more to music than merely being a technician. We find very fast passages which come flying at us where at times Gitlis is not afraid to produce astringent or even ugly tones, but then he will also make the violin sing and cry at other moments. Gitlis had a very expressive sound complete with lots of vibrato and he liked to make the violin sound angry at times. It adds up to a performance that is one of a kind and that adds to our understanding of the piece. The VSO, often seen as the scrappy, less polished alternative to the Vienna Philharmonic, plays superbly here and dashes to keep up with Gitlis.
Legendary Soviet era violinist David Oistrakhrecorded the concerto several times, and two of those recordings deserve to be on the recommended list. The first is his 1959 traversal with the StaatskapelleDresden orchestra and conductor Franz Konwitschny, a recording available on both the Deutsche Grammophon and Profil labels. Despite the somewhat disappointing sound, on this recording Oistrakh shows more spontaneity and inspiration. The violin sound is not as smooth as the Ormandy recording below, but Oistrakh is more expressive, and we get a fuller picture of what made Oistrakh so great. The second is Oistrakh with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy for CBS/Columbia/Sony, recorded in 1961. The Philadelphians play wonderfully, and Oistrakh was a complete master of the Tchaikovsky concerto. I would say it is a more traditional approach with Ormandy controlling the proceedings more than Oistrakh. But the sound is better than on the Dresden recordings, and Oistrakh’s distinctive, lustrous tone is something awesome to hear. This was my go-to recording for many years and is still a solid choice.
Another legendary violinist was Nathan Milstein(1904-1992) who studied with the same teacher as a boy as David Oistrakh, and later studied with Leopold Auer (the dedicatee of the work). Milstein may have been the last great violinist to study with Auer, and he also studied with Eugene Ysaye, himself a great violinist and composer. Milstein recorded the concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by Frederich Stock, dating from 1940, found on the Italian label Istituto Discografico Italiano. This is a rarity but can be found on major streaming services. The sound is amazing for 1940, and Milstein’s playing is unbelievable. Milstein does take the Auer cuts traditional at the time, but this is a great historical performance. A much better sounding alternative is Milstein with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestraand a still young Claudio Abbado put down in 1972 by Deutsche Grammophon. This is a lovely version in warm, generous, and detailed sound with Milstein displaying a rich and lustrous tone. Milstein naturally produced less vibrato than many of his peers which for me makes his playing more exciting and direct. There are plenty of fireworks in the first and third movements, while the Canzonetta is deeply felt. This is an all around winner, and the VPO sounds terrific.
Vadim Repin with Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra (St. Petersburg) was recorded on Universal Classics in 2002. One of the strongest accounts on record, Repin’s style is mature, assured, and captivating. Gergiev’s recent fall from grace for supporting Putin’s war in Ukraine notwithstanding, the only drawback for me is the recorded sound which is a bit cavernous and overly resonant. There is also a recording out there of Repin playing the concerto when he was a teenager in 1986 with the Novosibirsk Philharmonic that is also worth hearing. In addition, he recorded the Tchaikovsky concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra and Emmanuel Krivine from 1996, also an excellent recording. But this later account is the finest, with Repin producing a warm and luxurious tone. Gergiev was still a reliable and instinctive guide at this time, especially with Russian music, and the Mariinsky Orchestra sounds great. This one should not be missed.
Julia Fischer recorded the concerto with the Russian National Orchestra conducted by the late Yakov Kreizberg on the Pentatone label. Released in 2006, this version boasts superior sound quality, outstanding orchestral contributions, and the wonderful Kreizbergon baton before his tragic death. Fischer is in themiddle of the road interpretively but she produces a beautiful sound with a tender lyrical quality. Meanwhile, she handles all the fastest passagework with complete assurance and ability. This one is very nearly essential as well.
Another from the generation of young Russian prodigies comes Vadim Gluzman, and his 2007 recording for BIS was made with American conductor Andrew Litton and the Bergen Philharmonic. Gluzman is a substantial talent, and quite honestly his Finale jumps out at you very fast and must be heard to be believed. This is a strong reading by both soloist and orchestra, exciting and emotional throughout. Gluzman plays with abandon but is also able to pull back the reins. I find some of his phrasing to be truly different, creative and effective and his assured technique means he can easily put some of his own touches on things. Very enjoyable, and the sound is first class.
I have been a fan of Canadian violinist James Ehnesfor a long time, for the way he brings his humanity and intelligence to his playing. I went back and listened to his Tchaikovsky concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and pianist/conductor Vladimir Ashkenazyon the podium, and I concluded this is one of my favorite versions of recent years. Ehnes can be counted on to be faithful to the composer and he never goes over the top or becomes indulgent. But what I like is the graceful, flowing, and sentimental tone created by Ehnes, and the middle ground he and Ashkenazy tread between going too emotional or going too analytical. There is a freedom of expression within the overall structure, and I give a lot of credit to Ashkenazy for providing concentrated and thoughtful accompaniment. The Finale is exciting as it should be, but I find just about every section to be well-judged. While it may be a more centrist approach, it is very satisfying and may be comfortably recommended to anyone looking for a standard yet also excellent account.
The young Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra led by Eivind Jensen on the EMI label, now part of Warner. Released in 2012, I really enjoy this recording. Frang’s approach is the opposite of routine, and she finds many places to put her own stamp on the music. She is creative and spontaneous and takes chances that really pay off. Soloists are in a pickle with this concerto in that they want to present the composer’s work and intentions, but also want to show their own personality and vision. Frang threads the needle perfectly here by showing her chops but also using her imagination and creativity to present a unique version of the piece. I enjoy her individual style, though perhaps not everyone will like it.
Other Notable Recordings
Looking at the recordings below in my “notable” section, a few stand out from the others. I am very fond of the recordings by Joshua Bell, Ray Chen, Johan Dalene, and Daniel Lozakovich. Although they did not quite make my recommended list, they are still outstanding and worth hearing.
National Symphony Orchestra / Ida Haendel / Basil Cameron (Decca 1945)
RIAS Berlin / Erica Morini / Ferenc Fricsay (Audite1952)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Jascha Heifetz / Fritz Reiner (RCA 1957)
The Philadelphia Orchestra / Isaac Stern / Eugene Ormandy (Sony 1959)
Boston Symphony Orchestra / Itzhak Perlman / Erich Leinsdorf (RCA 1968)
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields / Leila Josefowicz / Sir Neville Marriner (Philips/Universal 1995)
Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Gil Shaham / Lan Shui (Canary 2004)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Joshua Bell / Michael Tilson Thomas (Sony 2005)
Mahler Chamber Orchestra / Janine Jansen / Daniel Harding (Decca 2008)
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Ray Chen / Daniel Harding (Sony 2012)
Staatskapelle Berlin / Lisa Batiashvili / Daniel Barenboim (DG 2016)
Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic / Nemanja Radulovic / Sascha Goetzel (DG 2017)
Norrköpings Symphony Orchestra / Johan Dalene / Daniel Blendulf (BIS 2019)
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia / Daniel Lozakovich/ Vladimir Spivakov (DG 2019)
I hope you have enjoyed this entry and will join me next time when we will cover #48 on the list, Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto. Until then have a great week!
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Notes:
Arit, John (24 August 2013). "Sorry, Russia, but Tchaikovsky Was Definitely Gay". The Atlantic. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
Brown, David. The Early Years, 50.
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/insults-classical-music/hanslick-on-tchaikovsky/
Cummings, Robert. Dettmer, Roger. All Music Guide to Classical Music, The Definitive Guide. All Media Guide. Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky. Pp. 1380 - 1381, 1390 -1391. Backbeat Books, San Francisco. 2005.
Huth, Andrew (2002). Tchaikovsky and Myaskovsky: Violin Concertos. Vadim Repin, Kirov Orchestra, and Valery Gergiev. Philips Liner Notes. Pp. 3-5.
Kennedy, Paula (1995). Peter Tchaikovsky and Jean Sibelius Violin Concertos. Isaac Stern, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Eugene Ormandy. Sony Liner Notes. Pp. 4-6.
Kuhn, Annette (1995). Tchaikovsky and Glazunov Violin Concertos. Maxim Vengerov, Berlin Philharmonic, and Claudio Abbado. Teldec Liner Notes. Pp. 5-7.
Pullinger, Mark. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Gramophone Magazine. February 6, 2023.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Abbado
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michèle_Auclair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadim_Repin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky