Advanced violin players are familiar with this outstanding work by Pyotr Ilyich. The famous Violin Concerto in D Major is known worldwide as one of the most difficult works for violin. The 3-part piece requires huge technical skill and immense concentration to be performed flawlessly (especially taking into consideration that there’s no pause between the last two movements).
Written in 1878 on the shore of Lake Geneva, the concerto became composer’s way of the big depression he suffered after the devastating marriage. The young violinist Iosif Kotek (who presumably was composer’s lover) served as the major catalyst for the composition’s creation. However, to avoid the gossips, Tchaikovsky did not officially dedicate the work to his pupil.
Besides the violin, the original instrumentation of the piece includes flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani and strings. The last thing you’d probably expect this piece to be heard on is bayan. But just listen how brilliantly the third movement sounds performed on it! The young man Alexandr Chrustevich does some little magic on his instrument, so fast and yet so flawless.
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| Pyotr Tchaikovski and Iosif Kotek |
Besides the violin, the original instrumentation of the piece includes flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani and strings. The last thing you’d probably expect this piece to be heard on is bayan. But just listen how brilliantly the third movement sounds performed on it! The young man Alexandr Chrustevich does some little magic on his instrument, so fast and yet so flawless.
