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| Tchaikovsky's '''''Piano Concerto No. 2''''', in G major, [[Opus]] 44 ([[TH]] 60 ; [[ČW]] 55), was composed in October–December 1879 at [[Kamenka]] and [[Paris]], and orchestrated at the end of April 1880 at [[Kamenka]]. For many years this concerto was known mainly in a version edited by [[Aleksandr Ziloti]] after Tchaikovsky's death.
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| ==Instrumentation==
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| The concerto is scored for solo piano and an orchestra comprising 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in A, B-flat), 2 bassoons + 4 horns (in F), 2 trumpets (in D) + 3 timpani + violins I, violins II, violas, cellos, and double basses.
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| ==Movements and Duration==
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| There are three movements:
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| <ol style="list-style-type: upper-roman;">
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| <li>Allegro brillante (G major, 668 bars)</li>
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| <li>Andante non troppo (D major, 332 bars)</li>
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| <li>Allegro con fuoco (G major, 560 bars)</li>
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| </ol>
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| A complete performance lasts approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
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| ==Composition==
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| After completing work on the proofs of the opera ''[[The Maid of Orleans]]'', Tchaikovsky decided he should take a complete break, and travelled to his sister's estate at [[Kamenka]] on 29 September/11 October 1879 with the intention of doing nothing <ref name="note1"/>. Even so, on 7/19 October he wrote to [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I continue to enjoy my entitlement to ''dolce far niente'' <ref name="note2"/>, but a new musical idea is starting to take shape in my head" <ref name="note3"/>. Soon after this, firmly convinced that he was "absolutely incapable of going for long without working", Tchaikovsky took up his new composition. "Today I started to do something, and the ''boredom'' just flew away" <ref name="note4"/>. On 12/24 October he told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I have begun to write a concerto for piano. The work will not be rushed, and there is not the least chance that I should strain or tire myself out" <ref name="note5"/>.
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| "My new musical offspring is beginning to grow...", Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] on 15/27 October 1879, "... and little-by-little its character is forming. I am writing with great enthusiasm, but deliberately and carefully, rather than with a feverish urgency which is always detrimental to my works" <ref name="note6"/>. On 20 October/1 November, Tchaikovsky informed [[Pyotr Jurgenson]]: "I have begun to make sketches for the first movement of a piano concerto. Poor [[Jurgenson]]! Even so, it won't be ready before the spring" <ref name="note7"/>.
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| On 9/21 November, the composer arrived in [[Paris]], where on 17/29 November he began working on the finale of the concerto <ref name="note8"/>. Despite constant complaints that the concerto was "progressing, but with much difficulty" and that he was pausing, "so that the ''inspiration'' for work might come to me" <ref name="note9"/>, on 23 November/5 December Tchaikovsky wrote: "This morning I worked very successfully, and the finale is near to completion; after finishing it I shall write out the ''andante'', which already exists in my head" <ref name="note10"/>. By 2/14 December the sketches of the concerto had been completed: "My concerto is ready in draft, and I'm quite pleased, particularly with the ''andante'' 2nd movement" <ref name="note11"/>. In a letter to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] of 30 November/12 December, Tchaikovsky reported: "If only I could orchestrate it with the speed of a Roman candle and send it to you, but that's unlikely to be ready before the spring, since there's no hurry" <ref name="note12"/>.
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| On 5/17 December Tchaikovsky left [[Paris]] for [[Rome]], where during December 1879 and January 1880 he was occupied with other work (revising the [[Second Symphony]] and composing the ''[[Italian Capriccio]]'').
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| In late January/early February 1880 he began to make a "fair copy" of the Second Concerto <ref name="note13"/>, and by 20 February/3 March the arrangement for two pianos and four hands was ready. On that same day he wrote to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]]: "In early March I shall be in [[Saint Petersburg]] ... There I will orchestrate the concerto, which is now completely ready in its version for two pianos... I'm still very satisfied and proud of this concerto ..." <ref name="note14"/>. Tchaikovsky arrived in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 7/19 March, and in a letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] of 10/22 March he told her that he wanted to orchestrate the concerto before leaving for Kamenka <ref name="note15"/>. But while staying in [[Saint Petersburg]] his time was taken up with other matters (correcting the vocal-piano reduction of the opera ''[[The Maid of Orleans]]'', preparations for its production at the Mariinsky Theatre, etc.) and Tchaikovsky's intention was not carried out. Nor did he manage to orchestrate the Second Concerto while he was staying in [[Moscow]]. Only at [[Kamenka]], during late April/early May, did Tchaikovsky work at the orchestration, which was finished on 28 April/10 May (according to the date on the manuscript). On 2/14 May, the full score was on its way to [[Jurgenson]] for printing <ref name="note16"/>.
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| Following the first performances Tchaikovsky was upset by the concerto's relative lack of popularity <ref name="note17"/>, as he considered it to be among his best works, and one with which he had worked with pleasure. In the late 1880s he made some alterations and cuts, as many pianists considered the concerto to be too long <ref name="note18"/> (see below, under "Publication").
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| ==Arrangements==
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| Tchaikovsky's arrangement of the concerto for two pianos was begun on 2/14 February 1880 <ref name="note19"/>, and was completed on 20 February/3 March 1880 <ref name="note20"/>.
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| ==Performances==
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| As with its predecessor, the premiere of the concerto took place in the United States: at a Philharmonic Society concert in the [[New York]] Academy of Music on 31 October/12 November 1881; soloist: Madeline Schiller; conductor: [[Theodore Thomas]] <ref name="note21"/>.
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| The first Russian performance only took place on 21 May/2 June 1882 in [[Moscow]], in the first symphony concert at the Arts and Industrial Exhibition. The soloist was [[Sergey Taneyev]], and the orchestra was conducted by [[Anton Rubinstein]] <ref name="note22"/>.
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| Other notable performances in the composer's lifetime were:
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| * Manchester (England), Hallé Orchestra concert, 16/28 October 1886, Charles Hallé (piano/conductor) (2nd and 3rd movements only)
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| * [[Saint Petersburg]], Philharmonic Society concert, 5/17 November 1888, [[Vasily Sapelnikov]] (piano), conducted by Tchaikovsky
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| * [[Prague]], 18/30 November 1888, [[Vasily Sapelnikov]] (piano), conducted by Tchaikovsky
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| * [[Moscow]], 5th Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 10/22 December 1888, [[Vasily Sapelnikov]] (piano), conducted by Tchaikovsky
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| * [[London]], Crystal Palace, 14/26 April 1890, [[Vasily Sapelnikov]] (piano), conducted by August Manns
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| * [[Kiev]], Amateur Musicians' Society concert, 15/17 December 1890, N. A. Listovnichy, conducted by [[Wilhelm Harteveld]]
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| * [[Paris]], 23rd [[Colonne]] symphony concert, 24 March/5 April 1891, [[Vasily Sapelnikov]] (piano), conducted by Tchaikovsky
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| ==Publication==
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| During the course of July–September 1880, Tchaikovsky worked on the proofs of the concerto, which was subsequently published by [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] in [[Moscow]] <ref name="note23"/>:
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| * Arrangement for two pianos — October 1880
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| * Full score — February 1881
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| * Orchestral parts — February 1881.
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| When in 1888 [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] wanted to reprint the concerto, [[Aleksandr Ziloti]] proposed to Tchaikovsky a number of fundamental changes to the first and second movements. Tchaikovsky did not agree with these, and decided only to make changes to the piano part: "I absolutely cannot agree to your cuts, and especially those in respect of the first movement... my author's sensibilities strongly riled by your displacements and changes, and it is impossible for me to agree to them. I want the Second Concerto in the form I had [[Sapelnikov]] play it <ref name="note24"/>, and I have marked your copy accordingly... your idea of transferring the cadenza to the end left a bitter taste, and made my hair stand on end" <ref name="note25"/>. In his letter of reply of 1/13 January 1889, [[Ziloti]] wrote: "Of course I will play the Second Concerto in the way you indicated, with the big violin solo in the second movement completely cut!" <ref name="note26"/>. The concerto was not reprinted in the 1880s.
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| In 1891 Tchaikovsky returned to the idea of reprinting the concerto. In a letter to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] of 30 March/11 April 1891, he wrote: "The Second Concerto is also ''impossible'' in its current form. I recall that you wanted to reprint it—but I don't know your position now. It contains many blunders of ''mine'', but the number of mistakes in the parts is, in a word, disgraceful. I have endured many torments with this concerto at rehearsals" <ref name="note27"/>.
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| However it was not until 1893 that [[Aleksandr Ziloti]] began to prepare the concerto in a revised edition, with the agreement of the author. Under intense pressure from [[Ziloti]], Tchaikovsky agreed to many changes, while being careful to preserve its overall form and protect his original concept:
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| {{quote|No, my dear [[Aleksandr Ziloti|Sasha]], I'm not completely happy with your projected changes in the ''Andante''. You would have it that the melody occurs twice, and then for no rhyme nor reason an inexplicably long coda at the end. This structure seems somehow very odd and curtailed! On the other hand, with my cut there is at least a brief piano cadenza which serves to ''separate'' the ''shortened andante'' from the ''coda'' [...] And so in my opinion, one should use either 1) my earlier cuts or 2) your version, but preserving pages 68 and 69. Later on page 71 your cut is absolutely fine [...] As for the small changes in the other movements, for various reasons I cannot quite reconcile myself to them [...] So let all your corrections appear in the form of ''ossia'', i.e. as one chooses.}}
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| {{quote|Cuts are unnecessary in the 1st movement, and if you have your way then it would turn out as something terribly odd and incomplete in form. ''The repeat of the main section after the recapitulation is absolutely essential in sonata form''—otherwise the listener might not catch on, and will be surprised and confused that the end has come so abruptly. Would you really play this concerto in such a state? I don't know. And so, sweet, kind, dear [[Aleksandr Ziloti|Sasha]], thank you for your interest and attention to this unfortunate second concerto, which, however, I like far more than the first. And I shall be terribly grateful to you for your proofs to come. And do not be angry that I do not completely agree with you about the changes and cuts <ref name="note28"/>.}}
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| Notwithstanding the fact that Tchaikovsky rejected many of the proposed changes, [[Aleksandr Ziloti]] significantly altered the concerto, introducing cuts and transpositions to which the author had not given his consent<ref name="note29"/>. This version of the concerto was published by [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] in 1897, after the composer's death: the full score and orchestral parts in September and the arrangement for two pianos in October.
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| In 1955 the original version of the concerto was published in volumes 28 and 46 of Tchaikovsky's ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'', edited by Aleksandr Goldenweiser, in which the author's text was reproduced from the autograph full score and arrangement for two pianos.
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| : ''See also: [[{{PAGENAME}}: Scores]]''
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| ==Autographs==
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| Tchaikovsky's manuscript full score {{TOW2|koncert-no-2-dlya-fortepiano-s-orkestrom|(ф. 88, No. 91)}}, which omits the piano part, and his arrangement for two pianos {{TOW2|koncert-no-2-dlya-fortepiano-s-orkestrom-2017-08-17|(ф. 88, No. 92)}} are now preserved in the {{RUS-Mcm}} in [[Moscow]].
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| ==Recordings==
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| {{reclink}}
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| ==Dedication==
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| The Second Concerto is dedicated to [[Nikolay Rubinstein]]. He was to have premiered the concerto in [[Moscow]], but died shortly before the scheduled performance.
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| ==External Links==
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| * {{imslpscore|Piano_Concerto_No.2,_Op.44_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)|Piano Concerto No. 2}}
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| ==Notes and References==
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| <references>
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| <ref name="note1">See [[Letter 1305]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 4/16 October 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note2">"Blissful idleness".</ref>
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| <ref name="note3">[[Letter 1307]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 5/17–7/19 October 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note4">See [[Letter 1310]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 10/22 October 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note5">[[Letter 1311]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 12/24 October 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note6">[[Letter 1313]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 15/27–16/28 October 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note7">[[Letter 1318]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 20 October/1 November 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note8">See [[Letter 1339]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 16/28 November 1879, and [[Letter 1341]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 18/30 November 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note9">See [[Letter 1351]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 22 November/4 December–23 November/5 December 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note10">See [[Letter 1351]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 22 November/4 December–23 November/5 December 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note11">See [[Letter 1366]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 3/15–4/16 December 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note12">[[Letter 1363]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 30 November/12 December 1879.</ref>
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| <ref name="note13">See [[Letter 1419]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 31 January/12 February–2/14 February 1880.</ref>
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| <ref name="note14">[[Letter 1430]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 20 February/3 March 1880.</ref>
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| <ref name="note15">[[Letter 1444]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 March 1880.</ref>
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| <ref name="note16">See [[Letter 1486]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 30 April/12 May 1880.</ref>
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| <ref name="note17">See [[Letter 1926]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 4/16 January 1882.</ref>
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| <ref name="note18">See [[Letter 2059]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 11/23 July 1882, and [[Letter 3751]] to [[Aleksandr Ziloti]], 27 December 1888/8 January 1889.</ref>
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| <ref name="note19">See [[Letter 1419]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 31 January/12 February–2/14 February 1880.</ref>
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| <ref name="note20">[[Letter 1430]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 20 February/3 March 1880.</ref>
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| <ref name="note21">See {{und|Philharmonic Society Concert}}, ''New York Times'' (13 November 1881).</ref>
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| <ref name="note22">See letter from [[Sergey Taneyev]] to Tchaikovsky, 18/30 June 1882 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive — and [[Letter 2059]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 11/23 July 1882.</ref>
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| <ref name="note23">See [[Letter 1534]], 12/24-15-27 July 1880, and [[Letter 1561]], 9/21-18/30 August 1880 to [[Nadezhda von Meck]]; also letters [[Letter 1555|1555]], [[Letter 1556|1556]], [[Letter 1559|1559]], [[Letter 1562|1562]], [[Letter 1563|1563]] and [[Letter 1566|1566]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], August 1880.</ref>
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| <ref name="note24">These cuts were bars 319-342 in the first movement, and in the second movement bars 247–287, 310–326 (piano) and 310–327 (orchestra).</ref>
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| <ref name="note25">See [[Letter 3751]] to [[Aleksandr Ziloti]], 27 Decembe 1888r/8 January 1889.</ref>
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| <ref name="note26">Letter from [[Aleksandr Ziloti]] to Tchaikovsky, 1/13 January 1889 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.</ref>
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| <ref name="note27">[[Letter 4361]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 30 March/11 April 1891.</ref>
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| <ref name="note28">[[Letter 4989]], 26 July/7 Auguat 1891, and [[Letter 4994]], 1/13 August 1891, to [[Aleksandr Ziloti]].</ref>
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| <ref name="note29">See letters from [[Aleksandr Ziloti]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 19/31 October and 21 October/2 November 1897 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.</ref>
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| </references>
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| [[Category:Concertos]]
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