P.TCHAIKOWSKY:Concerto No.1 Op.23 - A.GAVRILOV,R.MUTI - I part2 - (1977 Extraordinary version)

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The Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky between November 1874 and February 1875. It was revised in the summer of 1879 and again in December 1888. It is considered one of the most popular of Tchaikovsky's works and among the best known of all piano concerti.

Structure
Movements:

The concerto follows the traditional form of three movements: 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso -- Allegro con spirito (B flat minor → B flat major)
2. Andantino semplice -- Prestissimo (D flat major)
3. Allegro con fuoco (B flat minor → B flat major)

The well-known theme of the introductory section to the first movement does not repeat curiously anywhere else in the concerto. What ensues is the actual first theme of the concerto (in the home key of B-flat minor) which is based on a melody that Tchaikovsky heard performed by blind beggar-musicians at a market in Kamenka, near Kiev in Ukraine. This well known opening passage in the concerto, was notable for a considerable time after its composition on its apparent formal independence from the movement and the concerto as a whole. This sense of independence seemed to be highlighted by being not in the work's nominal key of B flat minor but in the relative major key of D-flat. Despite its very substantial nature, the theme is only heard twice, and never subsequently reappears in the concerto. For a long time, the introduction posed an enigma to analysts and critics alike.... The key to the link between the introduction and what follows is ... Tchaikovsky's gift of hiding motivic connections behind what appears to be a flash of melodic inspiration. The opening melody comprises the most important motivic core elements for the entire work, something that is not immediately obvious, owing to its lyric quality. However, a closer analysis shows that the themes of the three movements are subtly linked. Tchaikovsky presents his structural material in a spontaneous, lyrical manner, yet with a high degree of planning and calculation.

Maes continues by mentioning that all the themes are tied together by a strong motivic link. These themes include the Ukrainian folk song "Oy, kryatshe, kryatshe ..." as the first theme of the first movement proper, the French chansonette, "Il faut s'amuser, danser et rire." (Translated as: One must have fun, dance and laugh) in the middle section of the second movement and a Ukrainian vsnyanka or greeting to spring which appears as the first theme of the finale; the second theme of the finale is motivically derived from the Russian folk song "Podoydi, podoydy vo Tsar-Gorod" and also shares this motivic bond. The relationship between them has often been ascribed to chance because they were all well known songs at the time Tchaikovsky composed the concerto. It seems likely, though, that he used these songs precisely because of their motivic connection and used them where he felt necessary. "Selecting folkloristic material," Maes writes, "went hand in hand with planning the large-scale structure of the work."

Tchaikovsky authority Professor David Brown essentially agrees with Maes, further suggesting that Alexander Borodin's First Symphony may have given him both the idea to write such an introduction and to link the work motivically as he does, though he also mentions a four-note musical phrase ciphered from Tchaikovsky's own name and a three-note phrase likewise taken from the name of soprano Désirée Artôt, with whom the composer had been engaged some years before.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tchaikowsky
• concerto
• no
• 1
• I
• part2
• Gavrilov
• Muti

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