Tchaikovsky accepted the commission for 'The Seasons' because he urgently needed money, not from an inner creative compulsion.
Composition History
The collection of twelve piano pieces known as 'The Seasons' was commissioned by Nikolai Bernard, editor of the St Petersburg journal Nuvellist, to appear in monthly installments.
Performer Biography
Freddy Kempf, the pianist on this recording, gained national prominence in 1992 by winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition.
Composition History
Tchaikovsky's Grand Sonata in G major was composed during a difficult period in his life, following a breakdown after his ill-advised marriage.
Notable Performances
The Grand Sonata was first performed in 1879 by the formidable virtuoso Nikolai Rubinstein, whose interpretation delighted Tchaikovsky.
Composition History
Tchaikovsky initially put aside the Grand Sonata to compose his Violin Concerto, finishing the sonata two months later upon his return to Russia.
Composer Biography
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composer of one of the most popular piano concertos, rarely appears in solo recital programs because he was not a pianist-composer like Chopin or Liszt.
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