Tchaikovsky’s ‘Valse-Scherzo' in C Major, Op. 34: A Mainstay of the Violin Repertoire

The first performance of the “Valse-Scherzo” was in September 1878 at the Trocadéro concert hall, in Paris, as part of the 1878 Paris World’s Fair as seen in this postcard. Public Domain

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote music for more than ballets and operas. The famous Romantic composer also completed numerous instrumental pieces that continue to be interpreted and recorded today, as is the case with “Valse-Scherzo” in C Major, Op. 34 (circa 1877). The piece requires a performer’s virtuosity; that, as well as its shimmering quality, makes it one of the mainstays of the violin repertoire.

However, initially, this showpiece wasn’t as popular as Tchaikovsky’s other compositions, and its origins are tainted with mystery.

Mysterious Origins

Not much information survives about how the “Valse-Scherzo” was composed. The little we do know comes from the letters exchanged between the Russian composer and his close friend and former student, violinist Iosif Kotek, to whom he dedicated the piece.