One of the Greatest Pianists During Tchaikovsky’s Time Hated His Piano Concerto No. 1
Now considered one of the most beloved piano concertos of all time, it is a surprise to think that Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 was once disapproved of by one of Moscow's foremost musicians.
By Joseph John L. Verallo · June 11, 2026
In the second half of the 19th century, Nikolai Rubinstein and his older brother Anton were respectable personalities in Moscow aristocratic circles. Successful pianists, conductors, and composers, Nikolai and Anton would later found the Moscow and Saint Petersburg Conservatories, respectively. Needless to say, the duo were musical celebrities at the time.
A then recent graduate from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, Tchaikovsky was later hired by Nikolai to teach at the Moscow Conservatory. The two would become close friends. Tchaikovsky, in particular, would see Nikolai as a respected authority on all things piano.
After composing his famous First Piano Concerto, Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother:
“I am now immersed in the composition of a Piano concerto. I definitely want Rubinstein to play it at his concert; it’s going with much difficulty.”
To the composer’s shock, however, Nikolai hated it. After listening to Tchaikovsky play the first movement, Nikolai gave a series of severe criticisms. Tchaikovsky recalls him saying:
“[It] was worthless, that it was impossible to play it, that its passages were clumsy, awkward, so awkward that they could not be corrected, that as a composition it was bad, that I stole from here and there, that there are only two or three pages worth preserving.”
Fortunately, the composer was not deterred enough to think his concerto any less. Quite the opposite, Tchaikovsky was convinced of its value and vowed not to change “a single note.”
Instead, the composer went elsewhere for a performer to actualize his music, going to the great pianist-conductor Hans von Bülow. Contrary to Nikolai, Bülow absolutely loved the work, saying:
“There is such unsurpassed originality, such nobility, such strength, and there are so many arresting moments throughout this unique conception.”
Bülow would give the world premiere in 1875 to a Boston audience, who’d responded with resounding applause. With a twist of fate, Nikolai would have a change of heart following the success of the concerto.