Synopsis

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto was first performed on today’s date in 1881. The premiere took place in Vienna with Adolf Brodsky the violin soloist and the Vienna Philharmonic led by Hans Richter. It was not a big hit.

The next day, the conservative Viennese critic Eduard Hanslick wrote: “The violin is no longer played: it is tugged about, torn, beaten black and blue.” According to Hanslick, the concerto’s finale: “transports us to the brutal and wretched jollity of a Russian festival. We see gross and savage faces, hear crude curses, and smell the booze … Tchaikovsky’s Concerto confronts us for the first time with the hideous idea that there may be musical compositions whose stink one can hear.”

Ouch! Tchaikovsky’s score survived the bad review, but a more recent American work suffered a far unkinder cut. The original film score for the 1968 blockbuster movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey was written by Alex North, who was born in Chester, Pennsylvania on today's date in 1910. Director Stanley Kubrick hired North to write the music for 2001, but Kubrick ultimately decided to use pre-recorded classical and contemporary music instead.

When North attended the New York premiere of 2001, he was devastated that not one minute of the music he had written was included in the final edit.

Believe it or not, no one had informed him in advance!

Music Played in Today's Program

Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Violin Concerto; Itzhak Perlman, violin; London Symphony; Alfred Wallenstein, conductor; Chesky 12

Alex North (1910-1991): Unused Opening Theme for 2001: A Space Odyssey; National Philharmonic; Jerry Goldsmith, conductor; Varese Sarabande 66225