Dedicated to Sylvia Rosenburg




Manuscript Pages

Concerto Classico (1962-1964)
This webpage provides information about the André Tchaikowsky composition, Concerto Classico (1962-1964), which is a concerto for orchestra and violin. This includes text from the book, The Other Tchaikowsky - A Biographical Sketch of André Tchaikowsky. This work has never been performed.

Known Details:
The following text is from the book, The Other Tchaikowsky - A Biographical Sketch of André Tchaikowsky, and describes what is known about the Concerto Classico (1962-1964).

The composing effort for the violin concerto started immediately after André met Sylvia Rosenberg in Stockholm, in March 1962. By the time of its completion in July 1964, André and Sylvia were the best of friends and had even formed a piano-violin duo, giving concerts and broadcasting on the BBC. André completed the full orchestration of the concerto and also wrote a piano reduction. André and Sylvia played through the work a number of times, making comments and a few changes. Sylvia Rosenberg:

"We did quite a bit together. We played in London, at least once or twice, and did a lot with the BBC. We saw each other in Paris and I met André's Aunt Mala. André was very busy with the violin concerto at the time, and I was learning the Berg violin concerto. He was very interested in the Berg harmonics, so I think some of these harmonics are in the Concerto Classico!"

When the friendship between André and Sylvia later became strained, the concerto was put aside. Many years later, there was a complete reconciliation and thoughts turned back to the concerto, but it was too late: André died before any kind of performance could be scheduled. The Concerto Classico has never been performed. The original manuscript is in the Josef Weinberger archives, which was found after André death at the bottom of a laundry basket at the home of Eve Harrison.