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Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no. 1
Peter Tchaikovsky's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B Flat Minor, demands the utmost from both piano and pianist. Tchaikovsky dedicated the piece to the great Russian pianist Nikolai G. Rubenstein, and performed it for him on Christmas Eve, 1874. The audition was a disaster. Tchaikovsky wrote of it: "I played the first movement. Not a word, not a remark. I armed myself with patience and played it through to the end. Again silence. I stood up and said, 'Well?' Then from the lips of N.G.R. poured a torrent of words, first quiet, then more and more in the tone of Jupiter, master of thunderbolts. It appeared that my concerto was worthless, impossible to play, the themes used before, clumsy and awkward beyond the possibility of correction. I stole this from here and that from there, only two or three pages can be salvaged and the rest must be thrown away or changed completely! I was speechless with excitement and fury...'I won't change a single note,' I replied, 'and will print it exactly as it is now!' And so I did!"
Tchaikovsky's faith in his work was soon vindicated, and the piece has become one of the most beloved concertos ever written. He later re-dedicated the song to a more appreciative Hans von Bülow. The song has even inspired a pop tune, "Tonight We Love," with lyrics fitted to Tchaikovsky's opening theme.
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