Tchaikovsky
www.tchaikovsky-research.net
Six Romances
Шесть романсов
With piano accompaniment, Op. 25 (1875).
No. 1. Reconciliation (Примиренье)
| Catalogue References | TH 97 ; ČW 226 |
|---|---|
| Date | February–March 1875 |
| Text | Nikolai Fedorovich Shcherbina (1821–1869), from his poem of the same name (1848) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | G minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Moderato quasi Andante (G minor, 76 bars) |
| Instrumentation | Medium voice + Piano |
| Autograph Location | Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 133) |
| First Publication | Saint Petersburg: V. Bessel, 1875 |
| Average Duration | 5 minutes |
| Dedication | Aleksandra Pavlovna Krutikova (1851–1919) |
| External Links |
Internet Music Score Library Project
 (downloadable score)The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and
translations) |
No. 2. As Over the Burning Ashes (Как над горячею золой)
| Catalogue References | TH 97 ; ČW 227 (as "As Over Burning Embers") |
|---|---|
| Date | February–March 1875 |
| Text | Fedor Ivanovich Tiutchev (1803–1873), from an untitled poem (?1830) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | B minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Allegro con spirito (B minor, 74 bars) |
| Instrumentation | High voice + Piano |
| Autograph Location | Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 133) |
| First Publication | Saint Petersburg: V. Bessel, 1875 |
| Average Duration | 2 minutes |
| Dedication | Dmitrii Aleksandrovich Orlov (1842–1919) |
| External Links |
Internet Music Score Library Project
(downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and
translations) |
No. 3. Mignon's Song (Песнь Миньоны)
| Catalogue References | TH 97 ; ČW 228 |
|---|---|
| Date | February–March 1875 |
| Text | Fedor Ivanovich Tiutchev (1803–1873) — a translation (?1851) from the German of Kennst du das Land?, in book 3 of the novel Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (1795) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | E♭ major |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Allegro moderato (E♭ major, 82 bars) |
| Instrumentation | High voice + Piano |
| Autograph Location | Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 133) |
| First Publication | Saint Petersburg: V. Bessel, 1875 |
| Average Duration | 4 minutes |
| Dedication | Mariia Danilovna Kamenskaia (1854–1925) |
| External Links |
Internet Music Score Library Project
(downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and
translations) |
No. 4. The Canary (Канарейка)
| Catalogue References | TH 97 ; ČW 229 |
|---|---|
| Date | February–March 1875 |
| Text | Lev Aleksandrovich Mei (1822–1862), from his poem of the same name (1859) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | G minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Moderato (G minor, 58 bars) |
| Instrumentation | High voice + Piano |
| Autograph Location | Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 133) |
| First Publication | Saint Petersburg: V. Bessel, 1875 |
| Average Duration | 3 minutes |
| Dedication | Wilhelmina Raab (1848–1917) |
| External Links |
Internet Music Score Library Project
(downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and
translations) |
No. 5. I Never Spoke to Her (Я с нею никогда не говорил)
| Catalogue References | TH 97 ; ČW 230 |
|---|---|
| Date | February–March 1875 |
| Text | Lev Aleksandrovich Mei (1822–1862), from his poem Octaves (Октавы) (1844) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | A major |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Andante semplice (A major, 55 bars) |
| Instrumentation | Low voice + Piano |
| Autograph Location | Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 133) |
| First Publication | Saint Petersburg: V. Bessel, 1875 |
| Average Duration | 4 minutes |
| Dedication | Ivan Aleksandrovich Mel'nikov (1832–1906) |
| External Links |
Internet Music Score Library Project
(downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and
translations) |
No. 6. As They Chanted: "Fool" (Как наладили: «Дурак»)
| Catalogue References | TH 97 ; ČW 231 (as "As They Kept Saying: 'Fool'") |
|---|---|
| Date | February–March 1875 |
| Text | Lev Aleksandrovich Mei (1822–1862), from his poem Song (Песня) (1860) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | G minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Allegro giocoso (G minor, 55 bars) |
| Instrumentation | Medium voice + Piano |
| Autograph Location | Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 133) |
| First Publication | Saint Petersburg: V. Bessel, 1875 |
| Average Duration | 2 minutes |
| External Links |
Internet Music Score Library Project
(downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and
translations) |
History
The first reference to the projected romances occurs in Tchaikovsky’s letter to Vasilii Bessel of 9/21 November 1874: "I shall definitely write the romances, but I won't hurry. I have begun to contemplate a new, large work, now that I’ve finished the piano score of the opera, which was taking up all my time. The romances will surely done during the winter" [1]. According to the dates on the manuscripts of the concerto, the draft was completed on 21 December 1874/2 January 1875, and the instrumentation on 9/21 February. In a letter to Modest Tchaikovsky of 13/25 February 1875, the composer reported that he had finished the piano concerto and was writing the Sérénade mélancolique, Op. 26 [2].
On 22 March/3 April 1875, Tchaikovsky wrote to Vasilii Bessel: "I have sent you the romances, together with the proofs. What should I put as the opus number? Shouldn't it be 25?". In this same letter, Tchaikovsky enclosed his receipt for the 150 roubles he had been paid for the opus 25 set by Bessel [3].
Therefore, it would appear that the romances were written between in February and March 1875. More precise information does not survive. They were published for the first time by Vasilii Bessel in April 1875 [4].
In the romances Mignon's Song (No. 3) and I Never Spoke to Her (No. 5), Tchaikovsky made minor alterations to the texts.
For the most part the romances are dedicated to performers from the first production of the opera The Oprichnik in 1874. Reconciliation (No. 1) is dedicated to Aleksandra Krutikova (who performed the role of Boiarynia Morozova in the opera); As Over the Burning Ashes (No. 2) to Dmitrii Orlov (Andrei in the opera); Mignon's Song (No. 3) to Mariia Kamenskaia; The Canary (No. 4) to Wilhelmina Raab (Natal'ia in The Oprichnik); I Never Spoke to Her (No. 5) to Ivan Mel'nikov (Viazminskii in the opera). The romance As They Chanted: Fool (No. 6) has no dedication.
From:
Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958),
pp. 439–440
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston
Notes:
- Letter 369 to Vasilii Bessel, 9/21 November 1874. The "large work" mentioned was the Piano Concerto No. 1, and the opera—Vakula the Smith [back]
- Letter 391 to Modest Tchaikovsky, 13/25 February 1875 [back]
- Letter 396 to Vasilii Bessel, 22 March/3 April 1875 [back]
- Passed by the censor on 29 March/10 April 1875. The journal Музыкальный листок [Musical leaves] of 20 April/2 May 1875 contains an advertisement for the "forthcoming" romances, which appeared on sale in the following week’s issue [back]