In early November 1893, Tchaikovsky died in St. Petersburg; it is reported that Tsar Alexander III subsequently remarked that there were many princes and barons, but only one Tchaikovsky.
The Piano Concerto in B-flat minor was composed in 1874/75. Nikolai Rubinstein initially deemed the work unplayable and worthless, yet it was only in the third version of 1888/89 that the concerto achieved its now-familiar form. Rubinstein considered the piece worn out, difficult, and poorly composed.
Other experts disagreed with Rubinstein's assessment. At the premiere in Boston's Music Hall in 1875, American critics expressed doubts about the work's classical merit. Similarly, the first Russian performance in November of the same year was deemed a complete failure by a St. Petersburg critic.
Ultimately, Rubinstein relented and conducted the premiere in Moscow in December 1875, with the young Taneyev as soloist; the piece was originally dedicated to him. On the recommendation of Safonov and Taneyev, Rubinstein later acquired the piano version.
Safonov and Taneyev also championed Scriabin, who was considered an original voice in Russian music and described as "the only true Romantic." While his music was often criticized as nervous, it actually reflected new sensibilities and a different emotional chemistry.
Scriabin composed his first orchestral work, the Piano Concerto, between October 1896 and April 1897; the premiere took place publicly in Odessa. While the reception in St. Petersburg was negative, the concerto was well-received in Moscow and London.
Although Scriabin's concerto features passionate climaxes, it is not considered a great work in the sense of Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninoff. Rather, it is characterized by refined, introspective moods and delicate pianistic work, lacking the exuberant gestures of the 19th century.
Scriabin's first orchestral work, the Piano Concerto, was composed between October 1896 and April 1897; the premiere took place publicly in Odessa. While the reception in St. Petersburg was negative, the concerto was well-received in Moscow and London. The first movement exhibits a classically strict form, while its ornamentation has a romantic, rhapsodic quality. The Andante consists of five variations on a choral-like theme, all in a mysterious key of F-sharp major. In the finale, Scriabin follows the sonata-rondo form with a striking development section and a broad coda. Harmonically, this movement is more diatonic than the first and is characterized by tonal shifts and an impressive final cadence.