Tchaikovsky and America: A mutual fascination | EUROtoday

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In November Denis von Meck, a descendant of the nice composer, got here to UN Headquarters to speak about Tchaikovsky’s relationship with the United States, and his essential function in guaranteeing the success of New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall.

Denis from Meck In the late nineteenth century New York lacked good high quality venues for music performances, so a bunch of music lovers eager to see a brand new live performance corridor within the metropolis turned to Andrew Carnegie, a well known patron of the humanities on the time.

Carnegie was extra focused on literature and constructing libraries, however his spouse was a music lover. Through her, they succeeded in attention-grabbing him within the thought of funding what turned Carnegie Hall.

However, it was a dangerous enterprise: the Hall was removed from the town centre in downtown New York, and the roads had been poor. There had been fears that few folks would need to make the journey, so it was determined to ask Tchaikovsky, probably the most well-known musician on the planet, to attend a five-day competition, at which he would conduct.

Denis von Meck, descendant of Tchaikovsky and founder of the von Meck Foundation

Denis von Meck, descendant of Tchaikovsky and founding father of the von Meck Foundation

A information: How did Tchaikovsky come to be so well-known within the US?

Denis von Meck: When Tchaikovsky composed his First Piano Concerto in 1875, he devoted it to Nikolai Rubinstein, his director on the Moscow Conservatory and an excellent pianist. However, Rubinstein demanded modifications and, when Tchaikovsky declined, refused to carry out it.

Tchaikovsky turned to a number of musicians to carry out the concerto, together with Hans von Bülow, the German conductor and pianist, who agreed. The first efficiency passed off in Boston, and the second in New York.

Walter Damrosch, one of many main German conductors and musicians of the time, heard it in New York and requested Tchaikovsky for extra music. As a end result, his works turned extensively circulated, and he turned extraordinarily standard within the US, way more so than in Europe and, maybe, much more than in Russia.

This success was a really nice shock for Tchaikovsky, who left America with many nice recollections, and constructive phrases in regards to the nation.

A information: If you take a look at the Wikipedia article about Tchaikovsky in English, there may be an audio recording from 1890, which is believed to comprise his voice. As an professional on the composer, do you assume that is genuine?

Denis von Meck: Yes, it’s real. It was made on the finish of his life, within the early days of sound recordings, and additionally it is obtainable on YouTube. Researchers at Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin had been in a position to totally decipher the phrases, and likewise establish the entire individuals.

https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2024/12/1158221