P.I. Tchaikovsky "Seasons"
"The Seasons" is not just a cycle of bright characteristic plays that are familiar to almost everyone since childhood. This is a real personal diary of the composer, where he carefully wrote down all the memorable and expensive episodes for him, amazing pictures of nature. Here are closely intertwined urban paintings of life, rural life, endless spaces and feelings. What distinguishes the maestro's piano cycle from other similar works.
History of creation
The emergence of the famous cycle of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is directly connected with the magazine Nouvellist, which began its activity in 1842. This edition introduced readers with all the innovations from the world of music, the works of domestic and foreign composers. Pyotr Ilyich successfully collaborated with the journal since 1873, when he wrote several vocal works specifically for publication. This time the publisher of the journal N. M. Bernard in November 1875 turned to Tchaikovsky with a request to compose a cycle of plays and promised a very decent fee.
The publisher immediately suggested to the composer the names of the plays, thereby determining the program of the works. In December 1975, in the same journal, they published an announcement in which they promised to acquaint readers in the coming year with the original work of Tchaikovsky, listing the titles of the plays.
There is practically no information about the process of writing a cycle, we only know that at that time Pyotr Ilyich was in the capital. In mid-December 1875, the maestro wrote in his letter to Bernard that he was deeply concerned that plays could be long and boring. However, Tchaikovsky's doubts were in vain, because the works were liked by Bernard and they were published just in time.
When the plays were ready and they were published in the "Nouvelliste", Bernard added poetic epigraphs to them in order to more fully reveal the composer's intention.
The name "Seasons" itself first appeared at the end of 1876, when the entire cycle was published. In all subsequent editions, this title has been preserved. However, Bernard did his bit, adding an explanation of "12 characteristic pictures" to the title.
On December 13, Pyotr Ilyich sent the first two plays to the publisher and immediately began preparations for their publication in a magazine that was published every month. Thus, in each number the compositions of the composer were to be presented, which opened it, with the exception of the ninth number. In this issue, the first positioned the work of V. Glavach - the permanent author of the publication. In the same issue it was stated that all subscribers will receive Tchaikovsky's twelve plays in one edition at the end of the year as a nice bonus. Thus, the entire cycle saw the light at the end of 1876.
Unfortunately, there is no information about how critics accepted the novelty of Tchaikovsky and about where the plays were first performed. However, the recognition of the public was not long in coming. Soon this cycle became extremely popular among performers, both amateurs and real professionals.
Interesting Facts
- The composer was given in advance the names of all twelve plays, but some of them he still titled independently. Thus, the miniature "Harvest" was designated as Scherzo, and "Christmas Time" - Waltz. Subsequently, these subheadings have been removed by other publishers.
- Tchaikovsky is not the only composer who wrote the cycle "The Seasons". Earlier this topic was touched by Antonio Vivaldi, who composed 4 string concerts that corresponded to different seasons. Astor Piazzolla wrote a cycle of four pieces made in the style of tango. Composer Grigor Akhinyan created the dance cycle "The Seasons". In addition, there are a large number of ballets of the same name, as well as the oratorio of J. Haydn.
- There are also Seasons cycles in painting (Nicolas Poussin, Giuseppe Archimboldo). Francesco Sozzi created a cycle of frescos corresponding to the seasons, and Marc Chagall created a mosaic.
- White Nights is an image that has always attracted the attention of creators. Russian artists and poets sang their romance in their works. F. Dostoevsky wrote the story "White Nights".
- In one of the plays, Tchaikovsky shows the romantic image of St. Petersburg. Much connected him with this city. It was here that he experienced his triumph and gained public recognition.
- In the first half of the 19th century, barcarols became very popular in Russian music. They firmly entered the Russian lyrics, as well as penetrated into poetry and painting.
- Tchaikovsky's piano cycle was performed by many famous pianists, such as Svyatoslav Richter, Andrei Nikolsky, Mikhail Pletnev.
- The Lace Festival, held in Vologda (2016), managed to conquer the audience, because it was immediately presented six versions of the play Autumn Song from the cycle.
Content
The Seasons Collection contains 12 small plays that correspond to all months of the year. Very accurately, the composer conveyed not only nature, in all its glory, but also the state of man, the world of his feelings associated with this season. Sometimes, words are not even needed to understand what exactly the author wanted to convey in this work. The music is very bright and understandable speaks for itself.
"At the fireside" - the first play in the collection, which shows the month of January. The fireplace was called the Russian fireplace, which was practically in every home and gathered around itself all seven winter evenings. If this is a peasant hut, then they necessarily sang songs, spun laces, if a nobleman, then they mostly played music or read. Calm and peaceful music, as well as individual melody motifs, as if transmitting a leisurely speech. Listening to this play, you can easily imagine how people sitting near the fireplace look thoughtfully at the flames of fire and talk. The second part is somewhat different from the first and third, it is more excited and lively.
"At the fireside" (listen)
In the second play "Pancake week" Before the audience a picture of folk festivities unfolds. Shrovetide week invariably ends with a celebration, which is timed to the spring meeting. With the help of musical sounds, the composer conveyed a walking crowd, danced mummers and sounding instruments. A miniature is very interesting, it consists of small pictures that quickly replace each other, but the first theme is constantly returning. The picture of a national holiday with all relying attributes appears very clearly and vividly before the listeners.
"Maslenitsa" (listen)
"Lark". What do people most often associate with the beginning of spring? Of course, with the singing of birds, it was the lark that has long been considered a spring bird, and its singing symbolizes the onset of the long-awaited warmth in March. All nature awakens from hibernation. In this dreamy, sad play, the composer very accurately conveyed the singing of birds using sound imaging. The work closely borders two different themes, which, meanwhile, are united by trills. One of them is lyrical, melodic, the other is wide, with great ups.
"Lark" (listen)
"Snowdrop". The spring sun warms, the birds sing and it is time to bloom the first spring flowers. Snowdrops appear as soon as the cold recedes and the snow melts. This play conveys all the excitement and awe that overwhelms a person from contemplating the landscape. It is not surprising, because not only nature awakens in spring, but also human feelings. Love, hope for a bright future - everything is beautiful at this time. In music performed in a waltz rhythm, these bright emotions are transmitted.
"Snowdrop" (listen)
"White Nights" May. Inspired and unusually poetic white nights in St. Petersburg, when the air is shrouded in an incredible romantic mood, conveyed in this play. The atmosphere in the music is very changeable, in it woeful thoughts abruptly give way to incredible delight. All this is happening against the background of a constant romantic night landscape. The first section is rather a dream of happiness, it is built on short motifs that convey sighs. The second section is more passionate. The excitement in the soul greatly increases and turns into an enthusiastic and joyful rush. The third section returns to calm dreams and dreamy mood.
"White Nights" (listen)
"Barcarole". June. In Venice, Barcarolas were very common - these are songs that were performed by Italian boatmen. They were all smooth and melodious. The wide melody of the first part sounds very expressive. The accompaniment to it resembles a guitar play, which was quite traditional for barcarolis. In the middle part of the mood is replaced by a more joyful and excited. At the end of the play, the music stops, as if the boat with the singer is gradually moving away, hiding behind the horizon.
"Barcarole" (listen)
"Song of the Mower". July. Early in the morning, the mowers, armed with their tools, went to the field to mow the grass. At the same time, they often sang labor songs, which helped them in their work. In a small play, Tchaikovsky showed a vivid picture of village life. The main melody itself accurately conveys the intonation of a folk song. In the thumbnail there are three sections. The first and third of them is the worker’s song itself, which is filled with fun and energy. The middle section is somewhat different, similar to instrumental loss.
"Song of the Mower" (listen)
"Harvest". August. At the end of the summer it was customary to harvest from the field, and in the life of the peasant, this was one of the most important periods. We worked in the field a lot, but there was time for songs. A folk scene from the life of a peasant unfolds in front of the audience. Music sounds lively and elevated. The middle part of the play is a small lyrical digression, which draws a rural landscape with its plains and endless fields. It was for this miniature that Tchaikovsky introduced his subtitle "Scherzo".
"Harvest" (listen)
"Hunting". Russian life of the XIX century can not be imagined without the hunt, which acted as a kind of fun in noble estates. It was her Tchaikovsky and portrayed in this autumn play. Usually hunting was always noisy, fun, everywhere you could hear the hunting horns and dogs barking. Very masterfully, Peter Ilyich used sound-visual techniques in this play.
"Hunt" (listen)
"Autumn Song". Autumn in our country is always special, it was not for nothing that many poets, painters admired it, singing in their works. This is a unique and without comparing the beauty of Russian nature, sparkling with gold paint. Of course, autumn is also different, when a dull rain makes you a little sad about the departing summer, and nature seems to die. Pyotr Ilyich tried to convey this mood in his work. The play is central to the whole cycle. It is like a summary of the story. The intonation of sigh, sadness and longing sound in the play. Only the middle part, like a glimmer of hope, and in it a quivering rise sounds, full of enthusiasm. However, the third section again returns to the intonation of sadness and sadness. The last beats sound with a fade, it seems that there is no longer any hope for a revival.
"Autumn Song" (listen)
"On the top three." Although November belongs to the autumn months, but winter is already fully felt. Frosts are already standing, and the trees are covered with white frost. The scenery is amazing at this time of year. The work begins with a beautiful melody of broad breathing, which draws Russian open spaces in front of the audience. Suddenly, calm breaks the distant sound of bells, which are gradually approaching. It briskly rides three horses harnessed together. A cheerful chime of bells temporarily moves the lyrical mood to the background. But now the horses sped past and the chime gradually subsided. Again the first melody sounds, similar to the sad song of the driver.
"On the top three" (listen)
"Christmas time". What to do at Christmas time? The girls are guessing at their contented ones, there is a festive atmosphere everywhere. On the streets go mummers, who go into the house and entertain the owners with their jokes, songs. In his final play in the cycle, Tchaikovsky defined Waltz. The episodes of this dance here really meet and alternate with the main melody. The play ends with a solemn celebration to the sound of a serene waltz, when the whole family, together with the guests, gathers around a chic Christmas tree.
"Svyatki" (listen)
New versions of the "Seasons"
The cycle "The Seasons" turned out to be incredibly popular among performers, which is why it exists in various arrangements for various instruments and compositions. Many well-known musicians at one time orchestrated the piano cycle score. The most popular version of Alexander Gauk (1942), which was timed to the 100th anniversary of the composer.
An interesting version was presented to the public by Sergei Rytsarev-Abir, which amazes listeners with an unusual orchestration. This is not just a usual arrangement for a symphony orchestra, in this version Tchaikovsky’s style is felt, as if he himself thought it that way, creating it for the orchestra. These small plays are shown in vivid pictures in front of the audience. The researchers note that it is in this version that there is something that only Mikhail Pletnev managed to embody - the logic of the orchestral scale. The author himself noted that during the work he was guided by one rule. He initially thought of Tchaikovsky’s cycle only as a sketch, and to be more precise, as a piano transcription of an already existing (hypothetically) symphonic work. This allowed him to take a fresh look at the work and overcome the attachment to the piano. In some moments, he even had to add a few introductory measures to miniatures in order not to destroy the concept of the whole idea.
It is noteworthy that this piano cycle has no boundaries in time. He is known, appreciated and loved by listeners, performers from different countries of the world. For more than a decade, young musicians have been brought up on these simple and understandable plays, which are real gems of Russian classical music. "The Seasons" is an amazing piece that has a special appeal that has not been lost over its entire existence, and this is its main advantage.
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