I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito
II. Andantino semplice – Prestissimo
III. Allegro con fuoco
“Worthless and unplayable.” “Passages so fragmented, so clumsy, so badly written that they were beyond rescue.” “The work itself was bad, vulgar. …only two or three pages were worth preserving; the rest must be thrown away or completely rewritten.” According to Tchaikovsky in a letter to his patron Nadezhda von Meck, these were Nikolai Rubenstein’s first impressions of the composer’s First Piano Concerto. He had hoped Rubenstein would perform the work and had brought it to him for consultation on the solo part. Rubenstein said he’d only play it if the composer revised the work substantially. Greatly offended, Tchaikovsky said that he would not alter one note and offered Hans von Bülow the premiere instead, which occurred in Boston on October 24, 1875, on one of von Bülow’s tours. While critics were initially skeptical about the piece, it was a huge success with the audience.
And it has remained beloved and popular in the concert hall today. (Initial drama aside, Rubenstein eventually warmed to the piece, conducting it and playing the solo part himself; Tchaikovsky ultimately did make some revisions.) Compared to concertos written earlier in the 19th century, this one is of unprecedented grand scale, with piano and orchestra as equals in the unfolding of its drama. The piano part demands much from the soloist, not only virtuosic technical displays—double octave passages, quicksilver runs, rhapsodic cadenzas, and the like—but also deep expressiveness. The large orchestral part is symphonic in scope and sophistication, presenting and developing musical material in intense dialogue with the pianist.
This concerto’s emotional appeal owes much to Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable melodies. After a stern horn call, it opens with a soaring melody played by the violins and cellos, accompanied by majestic chords on the piano. While the tune only appears in the work’s introduction, certain aspects of it are subtly embedded in later motifs. Moreover, its passionate character connects it to the lyrical themes in the concerto’s other movements.
Providing striking contrast are several melodies based on popular tunes. The lively main theme of the first movement proper is based on a street song accompanied by the hurdy-gurdy that Tchaikovsky had heard in Ukraine. In the second movement, following the tender lullaby, the sparkling middle section features the orchestra playing a French popular tune, “Il faut s’amuser, danser et rire”, that Tchaikovsky’s brother Modest recalled he and his brothers singing together frequently in the early 1870s. The spirited first theme of the third movement is a Ukrainian spring song, while the Russian folk tune “I am going to Tsar-gorod” is the basis of the second theme. It is the latter’s expansive melody that, following a technical firework of a piano cadenza, forms the magnificent climax of the movement. Together, orchestra and piano present it in full glory—thereby closing the grand lyrical arc that was introduced at the beginning of the concerto—after which they hurtle to a dazzling finish.
Program notes by Dr. Hannah Chan-Hartley
Pianist and Composer
Gabriela Montero’s visionary interpretations and unique compositional gifts have garnered her critical acclaim and a devoted following on the world stage. Anthony Tommasini remarked in The New York Times that “Montero’s playing had everything: crackling rhythmic brio, subtle shadings, steely power…soulful lyricism…unsentimental expressivity.”
Celebrated for her exceptional musicality and ability to improvise, Gabriela Montero has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras. A graduate and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London, she is also a frequent recitalist and chamber musician, having given concerts at such distinguished venues as the Wigmore Hall, Kennedy Center, Vienna Konzerthaus, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus.
She made her debut with the NAC Orchestra in 2016 and was the recipient of the prestigious Heidelberger Frühling Music Prize in 2018.
Montero is also an award-winning and bestselling recording artist. Her most recent album features her own Piano Concerto No. 1 (the “Latin” Concerto) and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, recorded with the Orchestra of the Americas in Frutillar, Chile.
Born in Venezuela, Montero made her concerto debut at age eight in her hometown of Caracas. Winner of the Fourth International Beethoven Award, she is a committed advocate for human rights, whose voice regularly reaches beyond the concert hall. Montero was named an Honorary Consul by Amnesty International in 2015 and recognized with Outstanding Work in the Field of Human Rights by the Human Rights Foundation for her ongoing commitment to human rights advocacy in Venezuela.
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Alexander Shelley began his tenure as Music Director in 2015, following Pinchas Zukerman’s 16 seasons at the helm. Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and former Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (2009–2017), he has been in demand around the world, conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Stockholm Philharmonic, among others, and maintains a regular relationship with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and the German National Youth Orchestra.
Each season, the NAC Orchestra features world-class artists such as the newly appointed Artist-in-Residence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki, and Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds. As one of the most accessible, inclusive, and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.