Talking Shop On Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
The Best Moments
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
Hello, I'm Tchaikovsky, and I'm glad to welcome you to the best moments of my Piano Concerto No 1. You will hear the Ukrainian folk song I once caught from a street singer, which became the main theme of the first movement, and you'll discover how grand a tune from the street can sound. On this site my fellow composers and I also teach you to recognize our pieces whenever they begin, so give the Trainer a go whenever you like.
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A Grand Door, Opened Once
I open the first movement with a four-note horn call, punctuated by big chords, and it sounds like someone throwing open the doors of a great hall. Then I never use that idea again, and to make things stranger the introduction sits in D-flat major while the home key is B-flat minor, so the guests arrive at one house and the party happens in another.
A Quiet Chat Before the Dancing
I begin the second movement softly, with a simple flute melody and a solo reply, like two people talking in a library. Then the middle turns quick and playful and quotes the French song "Il faut s'amuser, danser et rire", which is a polite way of telling everyone to loosen up.
Ivan Has a Train to Catch
I start the finale with a Ukrainian song, "Go on, go on Ivan", and it sets off at such a pace that Ivan clearly has somewhere to be. A tender Russian folk song, "I'm Coming to the Capital", slips in for a breather, and near the end I bring it back in a grand, bright way that sends everyone home happy.
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I hope you enjoyed learning about the best moments of Piano Concerto No 1 as much as I enjoy sharing them. Looking back, what stays with me is how much happens in one piece: a grand opening that never returns, a quiet conversation that turns into a dance, and a finale built from folk songs. I wrote it with a lot of heart, and I stood by it even when the first reaction was a hard one. Rubinstein, who judged it so harshly at the start, later became a champion of the work, and I find that rather touching. There is still plenty more to discover in Piano Concerto No 1, from the shy second theme of the first movement to the way the finale builds toward its bright, grand ending. Each time you listen, I think you will notice something new, because the music keeps revealing little corners you passed by before. So please click on the links provided to explore Piano Concerto No 1 further, and let the music tell you the rest.