# Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 Premiered 30 November 1877 in Moscow, with Wilhelm Fitzenhagen as soloist; Nikolai Rubinstein conducting. Tchaikovsky was a late-Romantic-era composer with a Romantic disposition: frequently melancholic, anxious, and intensely self-critical. When he wanted relief, he turned to the music of the 18th century, especially Mozart. He wrote, "Perhaps it is precisely because as a man of my time I am broken, morally ill, that I so like to seek solace and consolation in Mozart's music, which for the most part serves as an expression of life's joys, experienced by a healthy, complete nature uncorroded by reflection." 1877 was the year of Tchaikovsky's brief and catastrophic marriage, and, perhaps needing that consolation more than ever, he pursued that cheerful spirit as he composed his _Variations on a Rococo Theme_. Here the term _rococo_ implies lightness, charm, elegance, specifically referring to that earlier music of Mozart's time. Though original, the theme sounds like it could be a quotation. After an introduction and graceful presentation, this theme spins through seven characters, with different voices and attitudes. The final variation is a tour de force, in which the cellist dances thrillingly through blazing-fast staccato runs. It was first performed by Tchaikovsky's colleague Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, who took an unusually aggressive role with the score. Without permission, he edited, re-ordered, and even re-wrote some of the material. The composer's pride was wounded, but the piece was such a success that he accepted the changes, and the work went on to be one of the most popular pieces for cellists around the world.