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Tchaikovsky Cello Concerto

I wrote about four years ago concerning the sketches to the Cello Concerto Tchaikovsky set out to write. I have found those sketches in a Schott publication, and am determined to finish the work, during my lifetime. I am, however, puzzled by the choice of meter for the first movement (9/8–3/4), and the saturation in the etched rhythm. Other than the introduction to the 1st Piano Concerto, none of his "real" concertos begin that way. And if he indeed wanted to orchestrate that 60mm passage as is, it would make a great introduction. But if he had taken the passage apart, you can enter a secord theme after some development. Are there any letters or speculation to what the composer intented to do with the given passage?

And my other question is: Are you familiar with Gaspar Cassado's arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Piano Pieces Op. 72 into a Concerto form? If so, are you aware of any rare recordings, or any music stores having a coopy of the Score and or Piano Score, since it went out of print with Schott?

Yuriy Leonovich


Although Tchaikovsky was known to have told at least one person in October 1893 that he was writing a Cello Concerto, and may even have played it through to another, there are no letters or other testimony that might have given a clue to its structure. But it may be helpful to bear in mind that in other works (e.g. the Sixth Symphony), Tchaikovsky's sketches often began with the main theme or themes, with the introductory material added at a later stage.

I did not know about Cassado's arrangement of the Op. 72 set, but I would be curious to know more about them.

Brett Langston


I just got my hands on a copy of the Tchaikovsky-Cassado Cello Concerto in E major, Based on Op. 72. I got it through a library. From looking it over on my cello and piano, this seems to be a very well arranged work. Using Tendres reproches and Chant elegiaque in the first movement; Meditation in the second, and Characteristic Dance in the last, its orchestration is 2.2.2.2–4.2.3.1-Timp, perc., Harp and Strings. Its length is 36 minutes. It was one of Cassado's favorite concerto to perform, but there are no commercial recordings. I wish to one day play this work with an orchestra.

The work is out-of-print, but is available for hire from Shott Music. It was published in 1940, the edition number is 3743, and the klavier was made by W. Hammer.

Yuriy Leonovich

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This page was last updated on 05 November 2013