Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Enchanting melodies, great emotions, virtuoso playing. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Pezzo capriccioso in B minor, Op. 62 is technically demanding and has a lot to offer musically. Here, the popular piece is played by Benjamin Kruithof on the cello and the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vitali Alekseenok. The concert took place on the occasion of the International Classical Music Awards on March 19, 2025, at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. Benjamin Kruithof was honored as Young Artist of the Year.
The Pezzo capriccioso in B minor, Op. 62 begins with a melancholic, song-like melody in the cello part, which quickly transforms into lively, almost improvisational passages. The orchestra not only accompanies, but also sets its own accents: woodwinds underscore the plaintive motifs, horns lend depth to the dramatic sections. The juxtaposition of lyrical expression and capriccio-like character is what gives the Pezzo capriccioso its special charme.
The idea for the composition came to Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) in August 1887 while he was visiting his seriously ill friend Nikolai Kondratiev (1832-1887) in Aachen. He completed the piece a few weeks later in St. Petersburg. Two versions were created: one for cello and orchestra and one for cello and piano.
The Pezzo capriccioso is dedicated to the cellist Anatoliy Brandukov (1859-1930), who premiered the composition together with Tchaikovsky on the piano in early 1888 in Paris in the salon of the singer Maria Benardaki. A year and a half later, Brandukov was also the soloist at the premiere of the orchestral version in Moscow at a concert of the Russian Musical Society with Tchaikovsky as conductor. To this day, Tchaikovsky's Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62 is a work in which cellists can showcase their entire musical range.
Benjamin Kruithof was born in Luxembourg in 1999 into a family of musicians. He began playing the cello at the age of five. He first studied at the Conservatory Of Music Du Nord in Luxembourg, later at the Cologne University of Music and Dance and at the Berlin University of the Arts. After winning the prestigious Georges Enescu International Competition 2022 and being accepted into the ECHO Rising Stars series 2023, he has captured the attention of audiences with his charismatic stage presence and energetic interpretations.
© 2025 Deutsche Welle
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And check out our playlist with great cello music: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBWUqJW4DmeqFaZFwglTzRSv
Discover more masterpieces in your personal concert hall: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey
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#tchaikovsky #cellosolo #romanticmusic
Enchanting melodies, great emotions, virtuoso playing. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Pezzo capriccioso in B minor, Op. 62 is technically demanding and has a lot to offer musically. Here, the popular piece is played by Benjamin Kruithof on the cello and the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vitali Alekseenok. The concert took place on the occasion of the International Classical Music Awards on March 19, 2025, at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. Benjamin Kruithof was honored as Young Artist of the Year.
The Pezzo capriccioso in B minor, Op. 62 begins with a melancholic, song-like melody in the cello part, which quickly transforms into lively, almost improvisational passages. The orchestra not only accompanies, but also sets its own accents: woodwinds underscore the plaintive motifs, horns lend depth to the dramatic sections. The juxtaposition of lyrical expression and capriccio-like character is what gives the Pezzo capriccioso its special charme.
The idea for the composition came to Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) in August 1887 while he was visiting his seriously ill friend Nikolai Kondratiev (1832-1887) in Aachen. He completed the piece a few weeks later in St. Petersburg. Two versions were created: one for cello and orchestra and one for cello and piano.
The Pezzo capriccioso is dedicated to the cellist Anatoliy Brandukov (1859-1930), who premiered the composition together with Tchaikovsky on the piano in early 1888 in Paris in the salon of the singer Maria Benardaki. A year and a half later, Brandukov was also the soloist at the premiere of the orchestral version in Moscow at a concert of the Russian Musical Society with Tchaikovsky as conductor. To this day, Tchaikovsky's Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62 is a work in which cellists can showcase their entire musical range.
Benjamin Kruithof was born in Luxembourg in 1999 into a family of musicians. He began playing the cello at the age of five. He first studied at the Conservatory Of Music Du Nord in Luxembourg, later at the Cologne University of Music and Dance and at the Berlin University of the Arts. After winning the prestigious Georges Enescu International Competition 2022 and being accepted into the ECHO Rising Stars series 2023, he has captured the attention of audiences with his charismatic stage presence and energetic interpretations.
© 2025 Deutsche Welle
Watch the full Award Winners Gala here: youtube.com/watch?v=JrNLG91T4FA&t=7496s
And check out our playlist with great cello music: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBWUqJW4DmeqFaZFwglTzRSv
Discover more masterpieces in your personal concert hall: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey
And check out our playlist with Romantic music: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUCHNKKxIIM88sntDk1TVih
Subscribe to DW Classical Music: youtube.com/dwclassicalmusic
#tchaikovsky #cellosolo #romanticmusic
