Tchaikovsky and America: A mutual fascination

In November Denis von Meck, a descendant of the great composer, came to UN Headquarters to talk about Tchaikovsky’s relationship with the United States, and his important role in ensuring the success of New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall.

Denis von Meck In the late nineteenth century New York lacked good quality venues for music performances, so a group of music lovers keen to see a new concert hall in the city turned to Andrew Carnegie, a well-known patron of the arts at the time.

Carnegie was more interested in literature and building libraries, but his wife was a music lover. Through her, they succeeded in interesting him in the idea of funding what became Carnegie Hall.

However, it was a risky venture: the Hall was far from the city centre in downtown New York, and the roads were poor. There were fears that few people would want to make the trip, so it was decided to invite Tchaikovsky, the most famous musician in the world, to attend a five-day festival, at which he would conduct.

UN News: How did Tchaikovsky come to be so famous in the US?

Denis von Meck: When Tchaikovsky composed his First Piano Concerto in 1875, he dedicated it to Nikolai Rubinstein, his director at the Moscow Conservatory and an outstanding pianist. However, Rubinstein demanded changes and, when Tchaikovsky declined, refused to perform it.

Tchaikovsky turned to several musicians to perform the concerto, including Hans von Bülow, the German conductor and pianist, who agreed. The first performance took place in Boston, and the second in New York.

Walter Damrosch, one of the leading German conductors and musicians of the time, heard it in New York and asked Tchaikovsky for more music. As a result, his works became widely circulated, and he became extremely popular in the US, far more so than in Europe and, perhaps, even more than in Russia.

This success was a very pleasant surprise for Tchaikovsky, who left America with many great memories, and positive words about the country.

UN News: If you look at the Wikipedia article about Tchaikovsky in English, there is an audio recording from 1890, which is believed to contain his voice. As an expert on the composer, do you think this is authentic?

Denis von Meck: Yes, it is genuine. It was made at the end of his life, in the early days of sound recordings, and it is also available on YouTube. Researchers at Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin were able to fully decipher the words, and also identify all of the participants.