Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

This week Donald Macleod reflects on five aspects of Tchaikovsky.
The rich vein of fairy tale and fantasy, his love of literature
and his long-standing love-affair with Italy. Also, the
composer’s relationship with the man he called ‘Modya’, his
beloved younger brother, Modest. In 19th-century Russia, music
was a key strand in national identity. Tchaikovsky’s ancestral
Russian roots were a matter of great pride to him, but just how
Russian a composer was he?


Music featured:


The Nutcracker, Op 71 (Act 1 Scene 2, March of the Toy Soldiers)
The Snow Maiden, Op 12 (No 2, Dance and Chorus of the Birds) Swan
Lake, Op 20 (Act 2 No 13e, Danse des cygnes: Pas d'action (Odette
et le prince)) The Slippers (Act 1 scene 2, extract – Oksana’s
aria) The Sleeping Beauty, Op 66 (Act 1 No 5 (‘The Palace
Garden’), No 6 (‘Valse’)) The Nutcracker, Op 71 (Act 2 No 12,
Divertissement) 12 Romances, Op 60 (No 5, ‘Simple Words’) Manfred
Symphony, Op 58 (2nd mvt, Vivace con spirito) Eugene Onegin, Op
24 (Act 1 scene 2) Hamlet, overture-fantasia, Op 67 Six Romances,
Op 73 (No 2, ‘Night’) Six Romances, Op 38 (No 6, ‘La Pimpinella’)
Piano Trio in A minor, Op 50 (1st mvt, Pezzo elegiaco. Moderato
assai—Allegro giusto) String Sextet in D minor (‘Souvenir de
Florence’), Op 70 (2nd mvt, Adagio cantabile e con moto)
Capriccio Italien, Op 45 Six Romances, Op 38 (No 2, ‘It was in
the early spring’) 12 Pieces for Piano, Op 40 (No 1, Etude) The
Queen of Spades, Op 68 (Act 3 scenes 6 (conclusion) and 7) 12
Pieces for Piano, Op 40 (No 8, ‘Valse’) Iolanta, Op 69 (No 7,
Scene and Duet of Iolanta and Vaudémont) Sixteen Songs for
Children, Op 54 (No 10, ‘Lullaby in a storm’) Scherzo à la Russe,
Op 1 No 1 Symphony No 2 (‘Little Russian’) (2nd mvt, Andantino
marziale, quasi moderato) String Quartet No 1 in D, Op 11 (2nd
mvt, Andante cantabile) All-Night Vigil (No 16, The Great
Doxology) The Year 1812, Op 49 Six Romances, Op 6 (No 6, ‘None
but the Lonely Heart’)


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Chris Barstow


For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(1840-1893) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rbt0


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z