About
Had the circumstances surrounding Tchaikovsky’s life been different; had he been born in the present day, would he have composed his violin concerto differently?
To answer this question, we need to peek quite deep into his life even before the idea of the concerto began to manifest. Despite the concerto being composed and completed in 1978 within a few months, the work was a by-product of a long period of reflection.
From 1870 to 1878 was a period of creative research for Tchaikovsky during which he explored various possibilities and incorporated, either intentionally or not, folk music into his compositions. The voluminous collection of letters we have from Tchaikovsky shows us his obsession with the historical past of Russia, the Russian folk music, and Russia itself.
Tchaikovsky had been raised in the country “Having from my earliest year, been impregnated with the characteristic beauty of our Russian folk-music”, the folk music obsession was to be expected. In this period, many of his other folk-inspired works, be it partly or whole, were also realized: the operas Oprichnik, Vakula; the ballets Snow Maiden, Swan Lake; 2nd, 3rd, and 4th symphonies; three string quartets; one piano concerto, and many more. The biographical facts about Tchaikovsky and his violin concerto collected herein will help realize a part-fantasy-part-reality version of the concerto.