How did Nikolay Rubinstein change his opinion of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1?

Initially, Nikolay Rubinstein harshly criticized Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, condemning it as poorly written and refusing to perform it unless the composer made significant revisions. Tchaikovsky refused to alter the work, leading him to offer the premiere to Hans von Bülow instead.12

Following the concerto's immediate and widespread success after its 1875 premiere, Rubinstein withdrew his earlier criticisms. He eventually embraced the work, agreeing to conduct the Moscow premiere and incorporating the concerto into his own performance repertoire.1