Seven Romances, Op. 47 and Bibliography (1981/45): Difference between pages

Tchaikovsky Research
(Difference between pages)
m (Text replacement - "Malozemova" to "Malozyomova")
 
m (Text replacement - "Landovska" to "Landowska")
 
Line 1: Line 1:
Tchaikovsky's '''''Seven Romances''''' (Семь романсов), Op. 47 ([[TH]] 103 ; [[ČW]] 252-258), were completed in August 1880  at [[Simaki]].
<includeonly>Tchaikovsky and Dvořák</includeonly><noinclude> {{bibitem  |id=1981/45  |Contributors=Landowska, Wanda, 1879-1959 (author)<br/>Restout, Denise, 1915-2004 (compiler) |Title=Tchaikovsky and Dvořák |In=Landowska on music  |Edition=3rd Scarborough Books edition |Imprint=New York : Stein and Day, 1981 |Extent=434 p. ; music ; illus. (p. 343-344) |Series=A Scarborough book |Format=Article |Language=English  |Related=Reprinted from {{bib|1964/21}} (1964)   }}   [[Category:Bibliography (1981)]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Bibliography (1981/045)}}</noinclude>
 
==Instrumentation==
High voice (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7), medium voice (No. 4) or baritone (No. 5), with piano accompaniment.
 
==Movements and Duration==
# '''If Only I Had Known''' (Кабы знала я)<br/>Allegro moderato (C minor, 164 bars).
# '''Softly the Spirit Flew up to Heaven''' (Горними тихо летела луша небесами)<br/>Andante con moto (E major, 73 bars).
# '''Dusk Fell on the Earth''' (На землю сумрак пал)<br/>Allegro moderato (F major, 149 bars).
# '''Sleep, Poor Friend''' (Усни, печальный друг)<br/>Andante non tanto (G-flat major, 75 bars).
# '''I Bless You, Forests''' (Благословляю вас, леса)<br/>Andante sostenuto (F major, 72 bars).
# '''Does the Day Reign?''' (День ли царит)<br/>Andantino—Allegro agitato (E major, 77 bars).
# '''Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?''' (Я ли в поле да не травушка была?)<br/>Moderato (F-sharp minor, 67 bars).
A complete performance of all seven romances lasts around 30 minutes.
 
==Texts==
1. [[Aleksey Tolstoy]] (1817–1875), from an untitled poem (1858):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Кабы знала я, кабы ведала,
Не смотрела бы из окошечка
Я на молодца разудалого,
Как он ехал по нашей улице.
Набекрень заломивши мурмолку,
Как лихого коня буланого,
Звонконогого, долгогривого
Супротив окон на дыбы вздымал!
 
Кабы знала я, кабы ведала,
Для него бы я не рядилася,
С золотой каймой ленту алую
В косу длинную не вплетала бы,
Рано до свету не вставала бы,
За околицу не спешила бы,
В росе ноженьки не мочила бы,
На просёлок тот не глядела бы,
Не проедет ли тем просёлком он,
На руке держа пёстра сокола?
Кабы знала я, кабы ведала!
 
Кабы знала я, кабы ведала,
Не сидела бы поздним вечером,
Пригорюнившись на завалине,
На завалине, близ колодезя,
Поджидаючи, да гадаючи,
Не придёт ли он, ненаглядный мой,
Не придёт ли он, ненаглядный мой!
Ах, ах! Не придёт ли он, ненаглядный мой,
Напоить коня студеной водой!
 
Кабы знала я, кабы ведала,
Кабы знала я! кабы ведала. Ах!
</poem>
 
|Translated text=
}}
 
2. [[Aleksey Tolstoy]], from an untitled poem (1858):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Горними тихо летела душа небесами,
Грустные долу она опускала ресницы,
Слёзы в пространство от них упадая звездами,
Светлой и длинной вилися за ней вереницей.
 
Встречные тихо её вопрошали светила:
«Что так грустна и о чём эти слёзы во взоре?»
Им отвечала она: «я земли не забыла.
Много, много страданья,
Ах, много оставила я там страданья и горя.
 
Здесь я лишь ликам блаженства и радости внемлю,
Праведных души не знают ни скорби, ни злобы, —
О, отпусти меня снова, Создатель, на землю,
Было б о ком пожалеть и утешить кого бы.
О, отпусти меня снова, Создатель, на землю,
Было б о ком пожалеть и утешить кого бы!»
</poem>
 
|Translated text=
}}
 
3. [[Nikolay Berg]] (1823–1884), from his poem ''Evening and Morning'' (Вечер и утро) (1860) — a translation from the Polish sonnet ''Ranek i wieczór'' in the collection ''Sonety odeskie'' (1826) by [[Adam Mickiewicz]] (1798–1855):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
На землю сумрак пал; не шелохнут кусты;
Свернулись лилии поблекшие листы,
  И тихо озеро почило.
Под обаянием волшебной красоты,
Стою задумавшись: «Что грустен нынче ты,
  И всё кругом тебя уныло?»
 
Поутру прихожу: оживлена росой,
Проснулась лилия, блистая красотой
  И милая, в блистающей одежде.
С лыбкою привет на небо шлет она.
И плещет в озере веселая волна...
  А я, я... мне грустно!
  Мне грустно, как и прежде!...
</poem>
 
|Translated text=
}}
 
4. [[Aleksey Tolstoy]], from an untitled poem (1856):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Усни, печальный друг, уже с грядущей тьмой
Вечерний алый свет сливается всё боле;
Блеящие стада вернулися домой,
И улеглася пыль на опустелом поле.
 
Да снидет ангел сна, прекрасен и крылат,
И да перенесёт тебя он в жизнь иную!
Издавна был он мне в печали друг и брат,
Усни, моё дитя, к нему я не ревную!
 
На раны сердца он забвение прольёт,
Пытливую тоску от разума отнимет
И с горестной души на ней лежащий гнёт
До нового утра незримо приподнимет.
 
Томимая весь день душевною борьбой,
От взоров и речей враждебных ты устала,
Усни, моё дитя, меж ними и тобой
Он благостной рукой опустит покрывало!
 
Усни, моё дитя! Усни, моё дитя, усни, дитя, усни!...
</poem>
 
|Translated text=
}}
 
5. [[Aleksey Tolstoy]] from his poem ''John of Damascus'' (Иоанн Дамаскин) (1856):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Благословляю вас, леса,
Долины, нивы, горы, воды,
Благословляю я свободу
И голубые небеса!
И посох мой благословляю,
И эту бедную суму,
И степь от краю и до краю,
И солнца свет, и ночи тьму,
И одинокую тропинку,
По коей, нищий, я иду,
И в поле каждую былинку,
И в небе каждую звезду!
О, если б мог всю жизнь смешать я,
Всю душу вместе с вами слить,
О, если б мог в мои объятья
Я вас, враги, друзья, и братья,
И всю природу в всю природу
В мои объятья заключить!
</poem>
 
|Translated text=
}}
 
6. [[Aleksey Apukhtin]] (1840–1893), from an untitled poem (1880):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
День ли царит, тишина ли ночная,
В снах ли бессвязных, в житейской борьбе,
Всюду со мной, мою жизнь наполняя,
Дума всё та же, одна роковая, —
    Всё о тебе! всё о тебе!
    Всё, всё, всё, всё о тебе!
 
С нею не страшен мне призрак былого,
Сердце воспрянуло снова любя...
Вера, мечты, вдохновенное слово,
Всё, что в душе дорогого, святого, —
    Всё от тебе! всё, всё от тебе!
    Всё от тебе!
 
Будут ли дни мои ясны, унылы,
Скоро ли сгину я, жизнь загубя! —
Знаю одно, что до самой могилы
Помыслы, чувства, и песни, и силы,
    Всё для тебе! всё для тебя
Помыслы, чувства, и песни, и силы,
    Всё, всё, всё, всё для тебя!
</poem>
 
|Translated text=
}}
 
7. [[Ivan Surikov]] (1841–1880), from his poem ''Little-Russian Melody'' (Малороссийская мелодия) (1870):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Я ли в поле да не травушка была,
Я ли в поле не зеленая росла;
Взяли меня, травушку, скосили,
На солнышке в поле иссушили.
 
    Ох, ты, горе мое, горюшко!
    Ох, ты, горе мое, горюшко!
    Знать, знать такая моя долюшка!
 
Я ли в поле не пшеничушка была?
Я ли в поле не высокая росла?
Взяли калинушку, сломали,
Да в жгутики меня посвязали!
 
    Ох, ты, горе мое, горюшко!
    Ох, ты, горе мое, горюшко!
    Знать, знать такая моя долюшка!
 
Я ль у батюшки не доченька была,
У родимой не цветочек я росла;
Неволей меня, бедную, взяли,
Да с немилым, седым повенчали!
 
    Ох, ты, горе мое, горюшко!
    Ох, ты, горе мое, горюшко!
    Знать, знать такая моя долюшка!
</poem>
 
|Translated text=
}}
In ''Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?'' (No. 7), the second verse of the poem was omitted from the refrain.
 
==Composition==
It is possible that the romance ''Does the Day Reign?'' was the first of the Seven Romances to have been composed, in March 1880. According to Fyodor Malinin, Tchaikovsky created it for [[Aleksandra Panayeva-Kartsova]]. Following the dress rehearsal of a concert of Tchaikovsky's works, which took place in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 25 March/6 April 1880, and in which [[Panayeva-Kartsova]] took a principal role, Tchaikovsky was in conversation with [[Aleksey Apukhtin]]. Being a fervent admirer of the performer's singing talent, the composer asked the poet if he would dedicate one of his poems to her. In reply: "[[Apukhtin]] silently gestured that some notepaper was to be brought to him, upon which he jotted down some short verses in pencil. Tchaikovsky took these pages, and scanned through them before quickly leaving [[Apukhtin]]'s home without a word; a day or two later he called on his friend again, bringing with him the romance, already composed" <ref name="note1"/>.
 
On 2/14 June 1880, Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Aleksandr Zhedrinsky]]: "I would like to remind you of your promise to send me some of [[Aleksey Apukhtin|Lel]] [Apukhtin]'s poems so I might set them to music... At the moment I feel disposed to write romances, would like to have Lel's verses" <ref name="note2"/>. The poems were sent to the composer in the middle of June <ref name="note3"/>. On 28 June/10 July, Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]]: "I've lost my notebook with [[Apukhtin]]'s poems and my sketches, and for the last few days we've been searching here in vain" <ref name="note4"/>, but on 10/22 July the composer informed [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I've begun to write something new" <ref name="note5"/>.
 
On 19/31 July, Tchaikovsky composed the romance ''Softly the Spirit Flew up to Heaven'' (No. 2), after becoming acquainted with [[Jules Massenet]]'s ''Marie Magdeleine'', "by far the most extraordinary thing is the duet between'' Christ'' and ''Magdalene'', which in my opinion is a ''chef d'oeuvre''. I was so moved by this deeply heart-felt music—in which [[Massenet]] succeeded in capturing the infinite goodness of Jesus—that I shed whole streams of tears... All day today I had this duet in mind while writing a romance to [Aleksey] Tolstoy's words: ''Softly the Spirit Flew up to Heaven'', in which the melody owes something to [[Massenet]]" <ref name="note6"/>.
 
Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Sergey Taneyev]]: "Throughout this summer... I've worked very little, that is just some small vocal pieces in the form of romances and duets" <ref name="note7"/>. On 26 July/7 August the composer wrote to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]]: "I have written some romances; one of them <ref name="note8"/> gives me ''immeasurable delight'', but to spare my tears I mustn't play it" <ref name="note9"/>.
 
It appears that composition of the romances was completed in late July/early August 1880, since in a letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] of 31 July/12 August to 2/14 August he said he had begun the fair copies, together with the [[Six Duets, Op. 46]] <ref name="note10"/>. In all probability, the fair copies of the romances and duets were ready by 24 August/5 September <ref name="note11"/>. Tchaikovsky informed [[Nadezhda von Meck]] that he had finished the fair copies in a letter of 26 August/7 September to 31 August/12 September <ref name="note12"/>. On 30 August/11 September, [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]] took the new compositions to give to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]]: " [[Anatoly]] is bringing you two new opuses: 1) 6 duets for singers. 2) 7 romances and songs" <ref name="note13"/>.
 
Among the romances, Tchaikovsky considered ''I Bless You, Forests'', ''Dusk Fell on the Earth'' and "to words by [[Surikov]] (from [[Shevchenko]], I think): ''Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?''" <ref name="note14"/>.
 
==Arrangements==
Two of the romances were later arranged for voice and orchestra by the composer.
 
In March 1883, [[Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya]] asked Tchaikovsky to orchestrate the romance ''Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?'' (No. 7), through [[Sofya Malozyomova]]. However, Tchaikovsky was occupied at that time with the composition of the cantata ''[[Moscow]]'' and the [[Coronation March]], and was unable to fulfil her request. In a letter of 21 March/2 April 1883 to [[Sofya Malozyomova]], Tchaikovsky wrote: "How could I refuse? I am honoured and proud to oblige her and satisfy you, and as you rightly say that work will not take me very long—but combined with my fatigue through the strain of simultaneously composing the march and the cantata—I swear that I have no energy to take up a third task, even though it is straightforward work. I certainly will do it—but I beg you and [[Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya|Lizaveta Andreyevna]] not to be angry with me if I cannot orchestrate the romance just yet" <ref name="note15"/>.
 
On 20 February/9 March 1884, Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] from [[Paris]]: "Send the romance ''Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?'' to me at [[Kamenka]] right away. Last year I promised [[Lavrovskaya]] that I would orchestrate it and I still haven't done so. I need to do this as soon as I arrive" <ref name="note16"/>.
 
The date on the manuscript of the orchestration is 15/27 December 1884. However, this was certainly a mistake, since the work was passed by the censor on 15/27 September that year.
 
In 1888, the romance ''Does the Day Reign?'' (No. 6) was orchestrated by Tchaikovsky in [[Paris]] for the singer [[Marie de Benardaky]]. On 12/24 February, Tchaikovsky recorded in his diary: "Visited [[Marie de Benardaky|Benardaky]]. Busy orchestrating a romance" <ref name="note17"/>. However, the score of the arrangement was never published, and the manuscript has been lost.
 
In February 1891, [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] asked Tchaikovsky whether any of his romances had been arranged with orchestral accompaniment, and whether he wanted any of them to be so arranged <ref name="note18"/>. In his letter of reply of 19 February/3 March 1891, Tchaikovsky wrote that the full score of ''Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?'' was "with [[Lavrovskaya]], but at my request she sent it to a singer in [[Paris]], and it seems to have been lost — but it can be reconstructed from the parts" <ref name="note19"/>. In the same letter, Tchaikovsky expressed his general view that: "The romances are written to be accompanied by the piano, and do not require an orchestra" <ref name="note20"/>.
 
==Performances==
The romances ''Softly the Spirit Flew up to Heaven'' (No. 2) and ''I Bless You, Forests'' (No. 5) were performed, apparently for the first time, in [[Saint Petersburg]] – No. 2 by Feodosiya Velinskaya on 31 October/12 November 1881 in the fifth symphony concert of the Russian Musical Society, and No. 5 by Mikhail Koryakin on 14/26 November 1881 at the seventh symphony concert of the Musical Society.
 
The orchestral version of ''Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?'' (No. 7) was performed by [[Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya]] on 27 December 1887/8 January 1888 in [[Saint Petersburg]] at the fourth symphony concert of the Russian Musical Society, conducted by [[Leopold Auer]].
 
Tchaikovsky's orchestration of ''Does the Day Reign?'' (No. 6) was performed by [[Marie de Benardaky]] with [[Edouard Colonne]]'s orchestra on 16/28 February 1888 in [[Paris]], at a musical evening in honour of Tchaikovsky, who also conducted.
 
==Publication==
The romances were published for the first time by [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] in March 1881 <ref name="note21"/>, and were included in volume 44 of Tchaikovsky's ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'' (1940), edited by Ivan Shishov and Nikolay Shemanin.
 
The orchestral version of ''Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?'' (No. 7) was published for the first time in 1960 in volume 27 of the ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'', edited by Irina Iordan.
 
==Autographs==
Tchaikovsky's autograph scores of all seven romances are now preserved in the {{RUS-Mcm}} in [[Moscow]] {{TOW2|sem-romansov|(ф. 88, No. 139)}}.
 
The whereabouts of the manuscripts of his later orchestral arrangements of Nos. 6 and 7 are unknown.
 
==Recordings==
{{reclink}}
 
==Dedication==
All the romances are dedicated to [[Aleksandra Panayeva-Kartsova]].
 
==Related Works==
The main theme of ''Was I a Little Blade of Grass in the Meadow?'' (No. 7) is based on an unnamed Ukrainian folk tune.
 
==External Links==
* {{imslpscore|7_Romances,_Op.47_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)|7 Romances, Op. 47}}
 
==Bibliography==
* Cui, C. A. {{bib|1888/9|Четвертое симфоническое собрание Русского музыкального общества}} (1888)
* Medrish, I. D. {{bib|2015/8|Я ли в поле да не травушка была И. З. Сурикова и П. И. Чайковского}} (2015)
* Sheinberg, E. & Ritzarev, M. {{bib|2010/11|&quot;The Infinite Grace of Jesus&quot;. Massenet's 'Marie-Magdeleine' and Tchaikovsky's Blessed Tears}} (2010)
 
==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">Fyodor Malinin, '[[Apukhtin]] and Tchaikovsky' — manuscript in [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive. Quoted in {{bib|1958/14|Музыкальное наследие Чайковского}} (1958), p. 447.</ref>
<ref name="note2">[[Letter 1507]] to [[Aleksandr Zhedrinsky]], 2/14 June 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note3">See [[Letter 1519]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 28 June/10 July 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note4">[[Letter 1520]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 28 June/10 July 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note5">[[Letter 1533]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 9/21–11/23 July 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note6">[[Letter 1541]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 18/30–19/31 July 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note7">[[Letter 1544]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 21 July/2 August 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note8">"To marvellous words by Mickiewicz" — Tchaikovsky's note, referring to ''Dusk Fell on the Earth'' (No. 3).</ref>
<ref name="note9">[[Letter 1551]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 26 July/7 August 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note10">[[Letter 1552]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 31 July/12 August–2/14 August 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note11">See [[Letter 1565]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 15/27 August–24 August/5 September 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note12">[[Letter 1571]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 26–31 August/7–12 September 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note13">[[Letter 1566]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], mid/late August 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note14">See [[Letter 1804]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 3/15–4/16 July 1881.</ref>
<ref name="note15">[[Letter 2243]] to [[Sofya Malozyomova]], 21 March/1 April 1883.</ref>
<ref name="note16">[[Letter 2247]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 26 February/9 March 1884.</ref>
<ref name="note17">See {{bib|1923/23|Дневники П. И. Чайковского}} (1923), p. 199.</ref>
<ref name="note18">See letter from [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] to Tchaikovsky, 18 February/2 March 1891 — [[Klin]] House Museum-Archive.</ref>  
<ref name="note19">A manuscript copy of this arrangement has survived, showing that it was scored for an orchestra consisting of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (in F), violins I, violins II, violas, cellos, and double basses. The last 2 bars of the original romance were omitted from the arrangement.</ref>
<ref name="note20">[[Letter 4334]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 19 February/3 March 1891.</ref>
<ref name="note21">Passed by the censor on 25 February/9 March 1881.</ref>
</references>
[[Category:Songs|Romances, Op. 47]]

Latest revision as of 03:28, 12 September 2023

ContributorsLandowska, Wanda, 1879-1959 (author)
Restout, Denise, 1915-2004 (compiler)
TitleTchaikovsky and Dvořák
InLandowska on music
Edition3rd Scarborough Books edition
PublishedNew York : Stein and Day, 1981
Extent434 p. ; music ; illus. (p. 343-344)
SeriesA Scarborough book
FormatArticle
LanguageEnglish
Related ItemsReprinted from Tchaikovsky and Dvořák (1964)