Tchaikovsky's The Voyevode was first performed on November 18, 1891 in Moscow in a concert under the direction of Alexander Siloti. Although the dances were enthusiastically received, the symphonic ballad was a complete failure. The next day, the composer destroyed the score. However, Siloti still had the orchestral parts, thus making it possible to reconstruct the score after Tchaikovsky's death. In 1882 Milij Balakirev encouraged Tchaikovsky to consider the possibilities of the "Manfred" narrative. Over three years, Tchaikovsky worked to set this story to music. He completed the score on October 4, 1885. The work was a grandiose success, and the composer was enthusiastically acclaimed.