Premiere of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in Boston

Background. Tchaikovsky composed the concerto between November 1874 and February 1875. He initially hoped Nikolai Rubinstein would perform it at the Russian Musical Society concerts in Moscow, but Rubinstein harshly criticized the work as worthless, unplayable, and vulgar. Brown suggests Rubinstein's comments may have deeply shaken Tchaikovsky's confidence, and that he may have wanted the public to hear the work where he would not personally endure humiliation if it fared poorly. It is not known why Tchaikovsky next approached the German pianist Hans von Bülow, though he had admired Bülow's combination of intellect and passion, and Bülow likewise admired Tchaikovsky's music.

The Boston Premiere. The first performance took place on October 25, 1875, in Boston. Hans von Bülow was the soloist, with Benjamin Johnson Lang conducting. The rehearsal process was reportedly insufficient, leading to errors during the performance. Audience member George Whitefield Chadwick recalled that when trombones played incorrectly, Bülow audibly exclaimed, 'The brass may go to hell,' highlighting the tension and lack of preparation.

Commemoration. The premiere marked the first public hearing of the original version of the concerto. The event was later commemorated in the 2015 critical urtext edition published by the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin, which tied in with Tchaikovsky's 175th anniversary and marked 140 years since the concerto's world premiere in Boston in 1875, based on Tchaikovsky's conducting score from his last public concert.