Pëtr Il'ich Tchaikovsky

A Research and Information Guide

Gerald R. Seaman

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781317303091
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medien & darstellende Kunst
• Subtopic: Musik

Pëtr Il'ich Tchaikovsky: A Research and Information Guide is an annotated bibliography of substantial, relevant published resources relating to the Russian composer. Generally regarded as one of the most remarkable composers of the second half of the nineteenth century, Tchaikovsky is unique in that he was the first outstanding Russian composer to receive a professional musical education, being one of the first students to graduate from the newly opened St. Petersburg Conservatory. Composer of six symphonies, concertos, orchestral works, eight major operas, three ballets, and many chamber, keyboard and vocal works, he also composed important sacred music, which is currently being reassessed by contemporary Russian musicologists who are able to examine materials previously restricted or inaccessible during the Soviet period. Like his colleagues in St. Petersburg, Tchaikovsky was deeply interested in Russian folk song, which plays an important part in his works. This volume evaluates the major studies written about the composer, incorporating new information that has appeared in literary publications, articles and reviews.

1
Tchaikovsky’s Musical Works

Operas

• 1 Voevoda. Opera v 3-kh deystviyakh, 4-kh kartinakh. Libretto A. N. Ostrovskogo i P. I. Chaykovskogo po p’ese Ostrovskogo “Voevoda. Stseny iz narodnoy zhizni XVII veka (Son na Volge)” [The Voevoda. Opera in 3 acts, 4 scenes. Libretto by A. N. Ostrovsky and P. I. Tchaikovsky after Ostrovsky’s Play “The Voevoda: Scenes from the Folk Life of the 17th Century (Dream on the Volga)”], Op. 3.
  • Version 1: Date of composition: March 1867, Moscow – July 1868, Paris. Première: 30 January [11 February] 1869, Bol’shoy Theater, Moscow, for the benefit of the soprano Aleksandra Grigor’evna Men’shikova, cond: E. N. Merten. Published: Moscow: P. Yurgenson, 1869 (libretto only). Works: 1a, b, c.; 1 supplement (vs). Autograph: Lost. [TchH1; ČW1]
  • Tchaikovsky destroyed the full score of the opera in the 1870s, some of the music being used in later works. During the period 1920–33, instrumental, choral and solo vocal parts were discovered by P. A. Lamm and S. S. Popov in the library of the Bol’shoy Theater, Popov and B. V. Asaf’ev endeavouring to restore the whole score.
  • Version 2: This reconstruction was lost and a further attempt was made to produce a full score by P. A. Lamm and B. V. Asaf’ev, missing pages being composed by V. Ya. Shebalin and Yu. V. Kochurov, this being published in 1953. Première: 28 September 1949, Maly Opera Theater, Leningrad, cond. E. P. Grikurov, régisseur B. A. Pokrovsky.
• 2 Undina. Opera v 3-kh deystviyakh. Libretto V. A. Solloguba po knige “Undina. Starinnaya povest’, rasskazannaya na nemetskom yazyke v proze baronom F. Lamott Fuke, na russkom v stikhakh V. A. Zhukovskim” [Undine. Opera in 3 acts. Libretto by V. A. Sollogub based on “Undine. An ancient story, told in German in prose by Baron F. La Motte Fouqué, in Russian in Verse by V. A. Zhukovsky”].
  • Date of composition: January–July 1869. Première: 16 [28] March 1870, Bol’shoy Theater, Moscow (fragments). Published: Moscow: Works: 2 (1950), Undine’s aria (also arr. voice and piano); Act I Finale. Autograph: Lost. [TchH2; ČW2]
  • The score was destroyed by Tchaikovsky in the mid–1870s. Only fragments survive.
• 3 Oprichnik. Opera v 4-kh deystviyakh, 5-kh kartinakh. Libretto P. I. Chaykovskogo po odnoim. tragedii I. I. Lazhechnikova [The Oprichnik. Opera in 4 acts, 5 scenes. Libretto by P. I. Tchaikovsky, based on the eponymous tragedy of I. I. Lazhechnikov], Op. 4.
  • Dedication: “À Son Altesse Impériale le Grand-Duc Constantin.” Date of composition: February 1870–April 1872. Première: 12 [24] April 1874, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, for the benefit of E. F. Nápravník, cond. E. F. Nápravník. Published: St. Petersburg: V. Bessel’, 1874 (vs); 1896 (fs); Libretto 1873. Works: 3a, b; 34 (vs). Autograph: TSNB. [TchH3; ČW3]. Vocal score of Prince Vyazemsky’s aria (Act II No. 9a) first published in SM 6 (1986): 83–86.
• 4 Kuznets Vakula. Opera v 3-kh deystviyakh, 8-kh kartinakh. Libretto Ya. P. Polonskogo po povesti “Noch’ pered Rozhdestvom” N. V. Gogolya [Vakula the Smith. Opera in 3 acts, 8 scenes. Libretto by Ya. P. Polonsky based on N. V. Gogol’s Story “Christmas Eve”], Op. 14.
  • Version 1: Dedication: “To the memory of Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (1806–73).” Date of composition: June–August 1874. Première: 22 November [4 December] 1876, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Nikolay Rubinstein, rôle of Svetleyshy sung by Fëdor Stravinsky. Published: Moscow: P. Yurgenson, 1876 (vs) under the title: Kuznets Vakula ili Noch’ pered Rozhdestvom [Vakula the Smith or Christmas Eve]; Libretto: St. Petersburg: V. S. Balashev, 1876. Works: 35 (vs). Autograph: GADK. [TchH4; ČW4]
  • Version 2: Following the death of Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna in 1873, the directorate of the RMS invited different composers to write an opera in her memory, with a libretto by Yakov Polonsky, based on Gogol’s story Christmas Eve. Tchaikovsky’s opera was awarded first prize. In 1885, however, the opera was completely revised, the title being changed to Cherevichki [The Little Shoes], opera in 4 acts, 8 scenes. Date of composition: 1885. Première: 31 January 1887, Bol’shoy Theater, Moscow [see No. 8].
• 5 Evgeny Onegin. Liricheskie stseny v 3-kh deystviyakh, 7-kh kartinakh. Libretto P. Chaykovskogo pri uchastii K. S. Shilovskogo po odnoim. romanu v stikhakh A. S. Pushkina, s sokhraneniem mnogikh stikhov podlinnika [Eugene Onegin. Lyrical Scenes in 3 acts, 7 scenes. Libretto by P. Tchaikovsky with the participation of K. S. Shilovsky based on the eponymous novel in verse by A. S. Pushkin, preserving many verses of the original], Op. 24.
  • Subject suggested to Tchaikovsky by the singer Elizaveta Lavrovskaya. Date of composition: May 1877–February 1878. Première: 17 [29] March 1879, Maly Theater, Moscow, with the participation of Conservatory students, cond. Nikolay Rubinstein, régisseur I. V. Samarin, stage designer K. F. Val’ts. Published: Moscow: P. Yurgenson, 1878 (vs); 1880 (fs). Works: 4; 36 (vs). Autograph: MMKG. [TchH5; ČW5]
• 6 Orleanskaya deva. Opera P. I. Chaykovskogo v 4-kh deystviyakh, 6-kh kartinakh. Libretto P. I. Chaykovskogo po odnoim. tragedii F. Shillera (V perevode V. A. Zhukovskogo) s ispol’z. motivov dramy “Zhana d’Arka” Zh. Barb’e i libretto opery “Orleanskaya deva” M. A. Merme [The Maid of Orleans. Opera by P. I. Tchaikovsky in 4 acts, 6 scenes. Libretto by P. I. Tchaikovsky based on the eponymous tragedy of F. von Schiller (in a translation by V. A. Zhukovsky) using motives from the drama “Jeanne d’Arc” by J. Barbier and the libretto of the opera “The Maid of Orleans” (“Jeanne d’Arc”) by M. A. Mermet].
  • Dedication: “À Mr. Edouard Nápravník.” Date of composition: December 1878–August 1879. Rev. 1882. Première: 13 [25] February 1881, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, for the benefit of E. F. Nápravník, cond. E. F. Nápravník. Published: Moscow: P. Yurgenson, 1881 (vs); Moscow: 1899 (fs). Works: 5a, b; 37 (vs). Autograph: MMKG. [TchH6; ČW6]
• 7 Mazepa. Opera P. I. Chaykovskogo v 3-kh deystviyakh, 6-kh kartinakh. Libretto V. P. Burenina po poeme“Poltava” A. S. Pushkina, pererabotannoe P. I. Chaykovskim [Mazepa. Opera by P. I. Tchaikovsky in 3 acts, 6 scenes. Libretto by V. P. Burenin based on the poem “Poltava” by A. S. Pushkin, reworked by P. I. Tchaikovsky].
  • Libretto by Viktor Petrovich Burenin [pseud.: Count A. Zhasminov]. Words for Mazepa’s arioso, Act II [No. 10a], by Vasily Kandaurov. Date of composition: June 1881–April 1883. Première: 3 [15] February 1884, Bol’shoy Theater, Moscow, cond. I. K. Al’tani. Published: Moscow: P. Yurgenson, 1883 (vs); 1899 (fs). Works: 6a, b; 38 (vs). Autograph: MMKG. [TchH7; ČW7]
• 8 Cherevichki. Komiko-fantasticheskaya opera P. I. Chaykovskogo v 4-kh deystviyakh, 8-kh kartinakh. Libretto Ya. P. Polenskogo po povesti “Noch’ pered Rozhdestvom” N. V. Gogolya, s podavleniyami P. I. Chaykovskogo [The Little Shoes. Comic fantastic opera by P. I. Tchaikovsky in 4 acts, 8 scenes. Libretto by Ya. P. Polonsky based on the story “Christmas Eve” by N. V. Gogol’, with additions by P. I. Tchaikovsky].
  • Version 2 of the opera Kuznets Vakula [see No. 4, Version 2]. Words for Vakula’s song, Act III [No. 17], written by Nikolay Chaev. Date of composition: December 1884–March 1885. Première: 19 [31] January 1887, Bol’shoy Theater, Moscow, cond. P. I. Tchaikovsky, stage designer K. F. Val’ts. Published Moscow: P. Yurgenson, 1883 (vs); 1899 (fs). Works: 7a, b; 39 (vs). Autograph: MMKG. [TchH8; ČW8]
• 9 Charodeyka. [Nizhegorodskoe predanie]. Opera P. I. Chaykovskogo v 4-kh deystviyakh. Libretto I. V. Shpazhinskogo po ego odnoim. tragedii [The Enchantress. (A Nizhny N...