S.O.D. "Violin Concerto" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

11/10/2015     Violinist, Adolph Brodsky in 1881 had the honor of delivering the first performance of this 3-part masterpiece.  Originally, Tchaikovsky offered and dedicated it to Leopold Auer who refused it, not realizing it was a dedication as well.  

     Tchaikovsky composed the piece on the shores of Lake Geneva, a sort of vacation, during a bout of depression brought on by his former marriage to Antonina Milliukova.  His composition student and violinist, Iosif Kotek, joined him there and the two played piano and violin together for days.  One particular piece they played was E'douard Lalo's "Symphonie espagnole".  This may have prompted the beginnings of the Violin Concerto.

     It is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most difficult compositions to perform on violin.  Also intended to be for an orchestra backing the violinist, the other instruments include  2 bassoons, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 flutes, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in D, timpani or kettledrums, and strings.  Listen for a short part of it in the 2014 film, "The Equalizer" starring Denzel Washington.