Six Romances, Op. 38 - Revision history

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	The first romance was written at [[Florence]] on 11/23 February 1878, "between lunch and dinner" <ref name="note4"/>. This was ''The Love of a Dead Man'' (No. 5)—the only one of Tchaikovsky's romances set to words by [[Mikhail Lermontov]]. He told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I wrote it because in one of your letters you mentioned to me your view of his poetry set to music. This was in February at [[Florence]]" <ref name="note5"/>.		The first romance was written at [[Florence]] on 11/23 February 1878, "between lunch and dinner" <ref name="note4"/>. This was ''The Love of a Dead Man'' (No. 5)—the only one of Tchaikovsky's romances set to words by [[Mikhail Lermontov]]. He told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I wrote it because in one of your letters you mentioned to me your view of his poetry set to music. This was in February at [[Florence]]" <ref name="note5"/>.

	The second romance to be written, it seems shortly after the first, was ''Pimpinella''. Tchaikovsky heard this song in [[Florence]] performed by a street-singer named Vittorio: "The day before leaving I listened to him once more and noted down the words and music to one song, which I am sending you with my accompaniment. Isn't it a delightful tune? And such peculiar words!" <ref name="note6"/>. In another letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], Tchaikovsky wrote that "amongst my six romances, the melody of one of them is very similar from the one I sent you last year in letter from Switzerland, just slightly altered by me and adapted to the form of a vocal number suitable for a salon concert" <ref name="note7"/>. On 15/27 March, Tchaikovsky told [[ Pyotr Jurgenson]]: "I've already done seven small pieces, two romances and the opening of a [[Grand Sonata\|piano sonata]]" <ref name="note8"/>.		The second romance to be written, it seems shortly after the first, was ''Pimpinella''. Tchaikovsky heard this song in [[Florence]] performed by a street-singer named Vittorio: "The day before leaving I listened to him once more and noted down the words and music to one song, which I am sending you with my accompaniment. Isn't it a delightful tune? And such peculiar words!" <ref name="note6"/>. In another letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], Tchaikovsky wrote that "amongst my six romances, the melody of one of them is very similar from the one I sent you last year in a letter from Switzerland, just slightly altered by me and adapted to the form of a vocal number suitable for a salon concert" <ref name="note7"/>. On 15/27 March, Tchaikovsky told [[Pyotr Jurgenson]]: "I've already done seven small pieces, two romances and the opening of a [[Grand Sonata\|piano sonata]]" <ref name="note8"/>.

	The composer finished the romances in Russia, while staying at [[Kamenka]] from 11/23 April to 12/24 May 1878, at [[Brailov]] from 17/29 May to 30 May/11 June, at [[Kamenka]] from 13/25 June to 26 June/8 July, and at [[ Verbovka]] from 4/16 July to 5/17 August 1878.		The composer finished the romances in Russia, while staying at [[Kamenka]] from 11/23 April to 12/24 May 1878, at [[Brailov]] from 17/29 May to 30 May/11 June, at [[Kamenka]] from 13/25 June to 26 June/8 July, and at [[Verbovka]] from 4/16 July to 5/17 August 1878.

	On 30 April/12 May, Tchaikovsky shared his plans with [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I am sufficiently busy. The [[Grand Sonata\|sonata]] is already done, as are [[Twelve Pieces, Op. 40\|12 Pieces]] of moderate difficulty for solo piano solo—but that is to say, only in rough... Tomorrow I shall start on a collection of miniature pieces for children... Then I shall take up the romances and violin pieces <ref name="note9"/>. By 4/16 March the ''[[Children's Album]]'' had been composed, but on 27 May/8 June Tchaikovsky told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "In my case I have a whole mass of sketches. Besides the violin pieces, I have written: 6 romances, around a dozen piano pieces, an album of little pieces for children... a [[Grand Sonata]], and the whole [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]]. It will take a long time, possibly up to a month and a half, for all these to be put in order and copied out" <ref name="note10"/>. From this letter it follows that the remaining romances were written between 4/16 May and 27 May/8 June (Nos. 1 to 4, all to words by [[Aleksey Tolstoy]]), at the same time as the violin pieces ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' and the [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]].		On 30 April/12 May, Tchaikovsky shared his plans with [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I am sufficiently busy. The [[Grand Sonata\|sonata]] is already done, as are [[Twelve Pieces, Op. 40\|12 Pieces]] of moderate difficulty for solo piano solo—but that is to say, only in rough... Tomorrow I shall start on a collection of miniature pieces for children... Then I shall take up the romances and violin pieces <ref name="note9"/>. By 4/16 March the ''[[Children's Album]]'' had been composed, but on 27 May/8 June Tchaikovsky told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "In my case I have a whole mass of sketches. Besides the violin pieces, I have written: 6 romances, around a dozen piano pieces, an album of little pieces for children... a [[Grand Sonata]], and the whole [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]]. It will take a long time, possibly up to a month and a half, for all these to be put in order and copied out" <ref name="note10"/>. From this letter it follows that the remaining romances were written between 4/16 May and 27 May/8 June (Nos. 1 to 4, all to words by [[Aleksey Tolstoy]]), at the same time as the violin pieces ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' and the [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]].
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	==Publication==		==Publication==
	The Six Romances were published for the first time by [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], appearing in November 1878 <ref name="note15"/>. In 1940 they were included in volume 44 of Tchaikovsky's ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'', edited by Ivan Shishov and Nikolay Shemanin.		The Six Romances were published for the first time by [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], appearing in November 1878 <ref name="note15"/>. In 1940, they were included in volume 44 of Tchaikovsky's ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'', edited by Ivan Shishov and Nikolay Shemanin.

	==Autographs==		==Autographs==

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Tchaikovsky's '''''Six Romances''''' (Шесть романсов), [[Op.]] 38 ([[TH]] 101 ; [[ČW]] 246-251), were written between February and July 1878, after the composer completed his work on the [[Symphony No. 4]] and ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.

==Instrumentation==
Scored for high voice (Nos. 2, 3), medium voice (Nos. 4, 5, 6) or baritone (No. 1), with piano accompaniment.

==Movements and Duration==
#'''Don Juan's Serenade''' (Серенада Дон-Жуана) Allegro non tanto (B minor, 164 bars).
#'''It was in the Early Spring''' (То было раннею весной) Allegro moderato (E-flat major, 101 bars).
#'''Amid the Din of the Ball''' (Средь шумного бала) Moderato (B minor, 99 bars).
#'''O, If Only You Could''' (О, если б ты могла) Allegro agitato (D major, 38 bars).
#'''The Love of a Dead Man''' (Любовь мертвеца) Andante non tanto (F major, 129 bars).
#'''Pimpinella: Florentine Song''' (Пимпинелла: Флорентинская песня) Allegretto molto moderato (G major, 135 bars).

==Texts==
1. [[Aleksey Tolstoy]] (1817–1875), from his dramatic poem ''Don Juan'' (Дон-Жуан) (1859–60):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Гаснут дальней Альпухары
Золотистые края,
На призывный звон гитары
Выйди, милая моя!

Всех, кто скажет, что другая
Здесь равняется с тобой,
Всех, любовию сгорая,
Всех, всех, всех зову на смертный бой!

От лунного света
Зардел небосклон,
О, выйди, Нисета,
О, выйди, Нисета,
Скорей на балкон!

От Севильи до Гренады,
В тихом сумраке ночей,
Раздаются серенады,
Раздаётся стух мечей.

Много крови, много песней
Для прелестных льются дам, —
Я же той, кто всех прелестней,
Всё, всё, песнь и кровь мою отдам!

От лунного света
Зардел небосклон,
О, выйди, Нисета,
О, выйди, Нисета,
Скорей на балкон!
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

2. [[Aleksey Tolstoy]], from an untitled poem (1871):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
То было раннею весной,
Трава едва всходила,
Ручьи текли, не парил зной,
И зелень рощ сквозила;

Труба пастушья поутру
Ещё не пела звонко,
И в завитках ещё в бору,
Был папоротник тонкий;

То было раннею весной,
В тени берёз то было,
Когда с улыбкой предо мной
Ты очи опустила...

То на любовь мою в ответ
Ты опустила вежды —
О жизнь! О лес! О солнца свет!
О юность! О надежды!

И плакал я перед тобой,
На лик твой глядя милый, —
То было раннею весной,
В тени берёз то было!

То было в утро наших лет —
О, счастье! О слёзы!
О лес! О жизнь! О солнца свет!
О свежий дух берёзы!
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

3. [[Aleksey Tolstoy]], from an untitled poem (1851):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Средь шумного бала, случайно,
В тревоге мирской суеты,
Тебя я увидел, но тайна
Твои покрывала черты.

Лишь очи печально глядели,
А голос так дивно звучал,
Как звон отдалённой свирели,
Как моря играющий вал.

Мне стан твой понравился тонкий
И весь твой задумчивый вид,
А смех твой, и грустный, и звонкий,
С тех пор в моём сердце звучит.

В часы одинокие ночи
Люблю я, усталый, прилечь,
Я вижу печальные очи,
Я слышу веселую речь.

И грустно я, грустно так засыпаю,
И в грёзах неведомых сплю...
Люблю ли тебя, я не знаю,
Но кажется мне, что люблю!
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

4. [[Aleksey Tolstoy]], from an untitled poem (1859):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
О, если б ты могла хоть на единый миг,
Забыть свою печаль, забыть свои невзгоды,
О, если бы хоть раз я твой увидел лик,
Каким я знал его в счастливейшие годы!

Когда в глазах твоих засветится слеза,
О, если б эта грусть могла пройти порывом,
Как в теплую весну пролётная гроза,
Как тень от облаков, бегущая по нивам!

О, если б ты могла хоть на единый миг,
Забыть свою печаль, забыть свои невзгоды,
О, если бы хоть раз я твой увидел лик,
Каким я знал его в счастливейшие годы!
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

5. [[Mikhail Lermontov]] (1814–1841), from his poem of the same name (1841):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Пускай холодною землею
Засыпан я,
О друг! всегда, всегда, везде с тобою
Душа моя.
Душа моя всегда, всегда, везде с тобой!

Любви безумного томленья,
Жилец могил,
В стране покоя и забвенья
Я не забыл.
Без страха в час последней муки
Покинув свет,
Отрады ждал я от разлуки —
Разлуки нет!

Что мне сиянье божьей власти
И рай святой?
Я перенёс земные страсти
Туда с собой.
Ласкаю я мечту родную,
Везде одну;
Желаю, плачу и ревную,
Как встарину.

Коснется ль чуждое дыханье
Твоих ланит, —
Моя душа в немом страданьи
Вся задрожит.
Случится ль, шепчешь, засыпая,
Ты о другом, —
Твои слова текут пылая
По мне огнём!

Ты не должна любить другого,
Нет, не должна,
Ты мертвецу, святыней слова,
Обручена.
Увы, твой страх, твои моленья
К чему оне?
Ты знаешь, мира и забвенья
Не надо мне!

Пускай холодною землею
Засыпан я,
О друг! всегда, всегда, везде с тобою
Душа моя.
Душа моя всегда, всегда, везде с тобой!
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

6. Italian words and tune noted in 1878 in [[Florence]]. Russian translation by "N.N." [= Tchaikovsky]:
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Если ты хочешь, желанная,
Знать, что я в сердце таю;
Ревность какая то странная
Душу терзает мою!

Я молю тебя: и взглядом и улыбкой
Радуй меня одного, одного меня,
Я молю тебя: и взглядом и улыбкой
Радуй меня одного, одного меня!

Чары, тебе богом данные,
Лишь для меня расточай,
И на признанья нежданные
Гневно, мой друг, отвечай!

Я молю тебя: и взглядом и улыбкой
Радуй меня одного, одного меня,
Я молю тебя: и взглядом и улыбкой
Радуй меня одного, одного меня!

Очи твои так светлы, так прекрасны,
Краше здесь нет лица,
Речи твои пленительны, опасны,
Губишь ты все сердца! Ах!
Губишь ты все сердца!

Я молю тебя: и взглядом и улыбкой
Радуй меня одного, одного меня,
Я молю тебя: и взглядом и улыбкой
Радуй меня одного, одного меня!

Будь же довольна, желанная,
Сердцем покорным одним,
Чтоб не страдал непрестанно я,
Будь недоступна другим!

Я молю тебя: и взглядом и улыбкой
Радуй меня одного, одного меня,
Я молю тебя: и взглядом и улыбкой
Лишь одного меня, ах одного меня,
Радуй меня одного, одного меня!
Лишь одного меня, ах одного меня,
Милый друг мой, лишь одного меня!
</poem>

|Translated text=
<poem>
Non contrastar cogl' uomini,
Fallo per carita.
Non sono tutti gli uomini
Della mia qualita!

Io ti voglio bene assai, Pimpinella,
Quanto per te penai solo il cuor lo sa,
Io ti voglio bene assai, Pimpinella,
Quanto per te penai solo il cuor lo sa!

Ti pregoi dì di festa, Pimpinella,
Non ti vestir sonfusa,
Non ti mostrar chiassosa, Pimpinella,
Se vuoi portarmi amor!

Io ti voglio bene assai, Pimpinella,
Quanto per te penai solo il cuor lo sa,
Io ti voglio bene assai, Pimpinella,
Quanto per te penai solo il cuor lo sa!

Dalla tua stessa bocca, Pimpinella,
Attendo la risposta,
Non fa soffrir, o bella Pimpinella,
E non mi dir di no! no!
E non mi dir di no!

Io ti voglio bene assai, Pimpinella,
Quanto per te penai solo il cuor lo sa,
Io ti voglio bene assai, Pimpinella,
Quanto per te penai solo il cuor lo sa!

Ora che siamo soli, Pimpinella,
Vorrei svelare il mio cuore,
Languisco per amore, Pimpinella,
Solo il mio cuore lo sa!

Io ti voglio bene assai, Pimpinella,
Quanto per te penai solo il cuor lo sa,
Io ti voglio bene assai, Pimpinella,
Quanto per te penai, quanto per te penai
Solo il cuor lo sa, Pimpinella,
Solo il mio cuor, solo il mio cuor lo sa,
Pimpinella, solo il mio cuor lo sa!
</poem>
}}

In the ''The Love of a Dead Man'' (No. 5), [[Lermontov]]'s verses were shortened, and Tchaikovsky made some alterations to the texts in ''Don Juan's Serenade'' (No. 1), ''O, If Only You Could'' (No. 4), and ''The Love of a Dead Man'' (No. 5).

==Composition==
In February 1878, Tchaikovsky expressed his desire to compose "a variety of small pieces" <ref name="note1"/>. "This will be something between relaxation and work" <ref name="note2"/>. He then asked [[Nikolay Kashkin]] (through [[Pyotr Jurgenson]]) and [[Nadezhda von Meck]] to suggest appropriate texts for the romances. On 27 February/11 March, in response to his request, the latter sent the composer works by [[Afanasy Fet]], [[Aleksey Tolstoy]], [[Lev Mey]], and [[Fyodor Tyutchev]]. Tchaikovsky thanked [[Nadezhda von Meck]] in a letter of 7/19 March from [[Clarens]]: "I am particularly pleased with the [[Aleksey Tolstoy|Tolstoy]], which I like very much... In particular I am interested in ''Don Juan'', which I read a very long time ago. I was enchanted by the section you indicated in ''Don Juan'', and certainly I shall set it to music" <ref name="note3"/>.

The first romance was written at [[Florence]] on 11/23 February 1878, "between lunch and dinner" <ref name="note4"/>. This was ''The Love of a Dead Man'' (No. 5)—the only one of Tchaikovsky's romances set to words by [[Mikhail Lermontov]]. He told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I wrote it because in one of your letters you mentioned to me your view of his poetry set to music. This was in February at [[Florence]]" <ref name="note5"/>.

The second romance to be written, it seems shortly after the first, was ''Pimpinella''. Tchaikovsky heard this song in [[Florence]] performed by a street-singer named Vittorio: "The day before leaving I listened to him once more and noted down the words and music to one song, which I am sending you with my accompaniment. Isn't it a delightful tune? And such peculiar words!" <ref name="note6"/>. In another letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], Tchaikovsky wrote that "amongst my six romances, the melody of one of them is very similar from the one I sent you last year in letter from Switzerland, just slightly altered by me and adapted to the form of a vocal number suitable for a salon concert" <ref name="note7"/>. On 15/27 March, Tchaikovsky told [[ Pyotr Jurgenson]]: "I've already done seven small pieces, two romances and the opening of a [[Grand Sonata|piano sonata]]" <ref name="note8"/>.

The composer finished the romances in Russia, while staying at [[Kamenka]] from 11/23 April to 12/24 May 1878, at [[Brailov]] from 17/29 May to 30 May/11 June, at [[Kamenka]] from 13/25 June to 26 June/8 July, and at [[ Verbovka]] from 4/16 July to 5/17 August 1878.

On 30 April/12 May, Tchaikovsky shared his plans with [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I am sufficiently busy. The [[Grand Sonata|sonata]] is already done, as are [[Twelve Pieces, Op. 40|12 Pieces]] of moderate difficulty for solo piano solo—but that is to say, only in rough... Tomorrow I shall start on a collection of miniature pieces for children... Then I shall take up the romances and violin pieces <ref name="note9"/>. By 4/16 March the ''[[Children's Album]]'' had been composed, but on 27 May/8 June Tchaikovsky told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "In my case I have a whole mass of sketches. Besides the violin pieces, I have written: 6 romances, around a dozen piano pieces, an album of little pieces for children... a [[Grand Sonata]], and the whole [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]]. It will take a long time, possibly up to a month and a half, for all these to be put in order and copied out" <ref name="note10"/>. From this letter it follows that the remaining romances were written between 4/16 May and 27 May/8 June (Nos. 1 to 4, all to words by [[Aleksey Tolstoy]]), at the same time as the violin pieces ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' and the [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]].

The violin pieces were the first to be copied out (by 30 May/11 June), and then the composer brought the piano sonata to its final form (from 15/27 June). On 4/16 July he started copying out the romances: "The sonata is already done, and tomorrow I shall start on the fair copies of some romances, which were partly written abroad and partly at [[Kamenka]] in April" <ref name="note11"/>. One of the romances I am copying out tomorrow is set to the text of [[Lermontov]]'s ''The Love of a Dead Man'' <ref name="note12"/>. On 13/25 July, Tchaikovsky informed [[Nadezhda von Meck]] that he had finished copying out all the romances and the [[Twelve Pieces, Op. 40]] for piano <ref name="note13"/>.

Tchaikovsky singled out ''It was in the Early Spring'' (No. 2) as one of his most popular romances <ref name="note14"/>.

==Publication==
The Six Romances were published for the first time by [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], appearing in November 1878 <ref name="note15"/>. In 1940 they were included in volume 44 of Tchaikovsky's ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'', edited by Ivan Shishov and Nikolay Shemanin.

==Autographs==
Tchaikovsky's manuscript scores of all six romances are now preserved in the {{RUS-Mcm}} in [[Moscow]] {{TOW2|shest-romansov-2017-08-17-2017-08-17-2|(ф. 88, No. 138)}}.

==Recordings==
{{reclink}}

==Dedication==
All the romances are dedicated to the composer's brother [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]].

==External Links==
* {{imslpscore|6_Romances,_Op.38_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)|6 Romances, Op. 38}}

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">See [[Letter 761]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 14/26 February 1878, and [[Letter 758]], 12/24 February 1878, and [[Letter 762]], 16/28 February 1878, both to [[Nadezhda von Meck]].</ref>
<ref name="note2">[[Letter 798]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 24 March/5 April 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note3">[[Letter 780]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 7/19 March 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note4">See [[Letter 756]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], and [[Letter 758]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], both 12/24 February 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note5">[[Letter 866]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 4/16 July 1878. See also [[Letter 1018]] to [[ Nadezhda von Meck]], 12/24 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note6">[[Letter 775]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 28 February/12 March 1878. See also [[Letter 765]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 20 February/4 March 1878, and [[Letter 766]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 22 February/6 March 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note7">[[Letter 1018]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 12/24 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note8">[[Letter 789]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 15/27 March 1878. The "seven small pieces" were from the [[Twelve Pieces, Op. 40]], and the sonata was the [[Grand Sonata]].</ref>
<ref name="note9">[[Letter 820]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 30 April/12 May 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note10">[[Letter 843]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 27 May/8 June 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note11">Here Tchaikovsky inaccurately recalled the date of composition.</ref>
<ref name="note12">[[Letter 866]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 4/16 July 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note13">See [[Letter 871]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 13/25 July 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note14">See [[Letter 1849]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 1/13 September 1881.</ref>
<ref name="note15">Passed by the censor on 2/14 September 1878.</ref>
</references>
[[Category:Songs|Romances, Op. 38]]

Six Romances, Op. 38 - Revision history

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