Maxim Emelyanychev
Alexander Melnikov Johannes Brahms
Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) was just 20 years old when he began composing a sonata for two pianos in the winter of 1854. The piece soon evolved into what would become his first orchestral work. Always setting high standards for himself, Brahms spent four years refining the piece, undertaking an intense study of orchestral composition.

At its early performances in 1859, Piano Concerto No. 1 overwhelmed many listeners with its immense scale and dramatic intensity. However, as Brahms’ reputation grew, the concerto steadily gained recognition and is now considered one of his great masterpieces.

Like Brahms, Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) could be highly self-critical. In the autumn of 1892, he tore up the draft of a symphony he had been working on. A few months later, he threw himself into composing a new one. “This one I will definitely not tear up,” he wrote to his brother.

Tchaikovsky named the symphony Pathétique, signifying an appeal to deep emotion—an attempt to evoke compassion and contemplation. On October 28, 1893, he conducted its premiere in St. Petersburg. Just nine days later, he died suddenly and unexpectedly, likely from cholera.