Today’s video is a performance of a lovely little miniature that Tchaikovsky wrote in 1882—the Valse sentimentale op.51 no.6.
I first heard this piece in a performance in an old documentary by the wonderful cellist Gregor Piatigorsky—and I was surprised to learn later that the usual way that string players play this piece is actually an abridgement—2/3rds of the original piece is left out in most arrangements I’ve heard.
This got me thinking of all the various editions and arrangements of various Tchaikovsky pieces by contemporary virtuosos, some of which make very appropriate modifications and some of which perhaps go too far in meddling with the forms of Tchaikovsky’s originals. So I wondered, why did Tchaikovsky get so little respect? I start to consider this a little in the video, and maybe I will return to this theme in future videos featuring Tchaikovsky’s music.