Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.1, Op. 13 & The Tempest, Op. 18

Featuring

Pablo Heras-Casado
Orchestra of St. Luke's
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

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Compositional Technique

The scherzo of Tchaikovsky's First Symphony reuses material from his First Piano Sonata, written in 1865, and features a waltz that foreshadows his famous ballets like Swan Lake.

Composition History

Tchaikovsky's First Symphony was premiered on February 3, 1868, in Moscow, conducted by Nikolay Rubinstein, brother of his former teacher Anton Rubinstein, who had demanded revisions to the score.

Composition History

Tchaikovsky's First Symphony, inspired by Russian winter landscapes, was composed when he was 26 years old, shortly after transitioning from student to professor at the Moscow Conservatory.

Composition History

The idea for Tchaikovsky's symphonic fantasia The Tempest came from Vladimir Stasov, a musicologist and art critic, who provided a detailed program for the work.

Composition History

The composition of Tchaikovsky's First Symphony caused him significant psychological distress, leading to a serious nervous breakdown, as documented in his letters to his brother Anatoly.

Compositional Technique

Tchaikovsky initially questioned whether to include a storm scene in his work The Tempest, asking Vladimir Stasov where it should be placed in the score.

Composer Biography

Tchaikovsky declared, "I am Russian, Russian, Russian!" to assert his national identity as a composer, anticipating those who might label him "eclectic" or "cosmopolitan."