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| Tchaikovsky's incidental music to [[Shakespeare]]'s tragedy '''''Hamlet''''' (Гамлет), Op. 67b ([[TH]] 23 ; [[ČW]] 16), was written in January 1891 for a French production of the play in [[Saint Petersburg]]. It makes use of music from earlier works, including the overture-fantasia ''[[Hamlet (overture-fantasia)|Hamlet]]'' that Tchaikovsky had written three years earlier.
| | Russian artist and academician (b. 1829; d. 1913), born ''''' Aleksandr Petrovich Sokolov''''' (Александр Петрович Соколов). |
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| ==Instrumentation==
| | A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1859, Sokolov was the censor at the Imperial Theatres in [[Moscow]] between May 1883 and January 1884, while Tchaikovsky's opera ''[[Mazepa]]'' was being made ready for its premiere. He was later the curator of the Academic Museum (1892–1907), and an active member of the Academy of Fine Arts (from 1896). |
| Tchaikovsky's music is scored for soprano and baritone soloists, and a theatre orchestra of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in B-flat), 2 bassoons + 2 horns (in F), 2 trumpets (in B-flat), bass trombone + 3 timpani, tambourine, tam tam, bell (in C) + violins I, violins II, violas, cellos, and double basses. | |
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| There are two singing roles:
| | ==Correspondence with Tchaikovsky== |
| * ''Ophélie'' (Ophelia) — soprano | | One letter from Tchaikovsky to Aleksandr Sokolov has survived, dating from 1883, and has been translated into English on this website: |
| * ''Fossojeur'' (Gravedigger) — baritone.
| | * '''[[Letter 2350]]''' – 22 September/4 October 1883, from [[Verbovka]] |
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| ==Movements and Duration==
| | One letter from Aleksandr Sokolov to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1883, is preserved in the {{RUS-KLč}} at [[Klin]]. |
| Tchaikovsky's original score contains an overture and 17 individual numbers, of which one (No. 5a) has not been published. The titles of numbers are translated into English, with French headings and vocal incipits (in italics) taken from the published score. Where the English and French titles are the same, only the former are shown. | |
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| {| class="wikitable"
| | [[Category:People|Sokolov, Aleksandr]] |
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| | [[Category:Correspondents|Sokolov, Aleksandr]] |
| |colspan="2"|'''Overture''' (''Ouverture'')<br/>Lento lugubre — Allegro vivacissimo (256 bars)
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| | width="15%" rowspan="4"|'''''Act I'''''
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| | width="8%"|No. 1
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| | width="45%" colspan="2"|'''Melodrama''' (''Mélodrame'')<br/>Moderato assai (23 bars)
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| | No. 2
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| |colspan="2"|'''Fanfare'''<br/>Allegro vivo (9 bars)
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| | No. 3
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| |colspan="2"|'''Melodrama''' (''Mélodrame'')<br/>Moderato assai (10 bars)
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| | No. 4
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| |colspan="2"|'''Melodrama''' (''Mélodrame'')<br/>Allegro giusto ed agitato (112 bars)
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| | rowspan="3"|'''''Act II'''''
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| | No. 5
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| |colspan="2"|'''Entr'acte'''<br/>Allegro semplice (138 bars)
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| | No. 5a
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| |colspan="2"|'''Fanfare''' (4 bars)
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| | No. 6
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| |colspan="2"|'''Fanfare'''<br/>Allegro (8 bars)
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| | rowspan="2"|'''''Act III'''''
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| | No. 7
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| |colspan="2"|'''Entr'acte'''<br/>Andante quasi Allegretto (28 bars)
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| | No. 8
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| |colspan="2"|'''Melodrama''' (''Mélodrame'')<br/>Allegro giusto ed agitato (73 bars)
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| | rowspan="4"|'''''Act IV'''''
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| | No. 9
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| |colspan="2"|'''Entr'acte'''<br/>Andante non troppo (103 bars)
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| | No. 10
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| |colspan="2"|'''Ophelia's Scene''' (''Scène d'Ophélie'')<br/>Andantino (44 bars)
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| | ''Votre amoureux, á quels gages?''
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| | rowspan="2"|No. 11
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| | width="4%"|(a)
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| | '''Ophelia's Second Scene''' (''Deuxième scène d'Ophélie'')<br/>Moderato (15 bars)
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| | ''On l'a porté convert de fleurs''
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| | width="4%"|(b)
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| | '''End of Ophelia's Second Scene''' (''Fin de la deuxième scène d'Ophélie'')<br/>Allegro vivo (73 bars)
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| | ''Non, non! Ne me dis pas!''
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| | rowspan="5"|'''''Act V'''''
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| | No. 12
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| |colspan="2"|'''Entr'acte'''<br/>Marcia. Moderato assai (72 bars)
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| | No. 13
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| |colspan="2"|'''Gravedigger's Song''' (''Chant du Fossoyeur'')<br/>Andantino (14 bars)
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| | ''Fou d'amour, dans mon ivresse''
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| | No. 14
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| |colspan="2"|'''Funeral March''' (''Marche funèbre'')<br/>Marcia. Moderato assai (72 bars)
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| | No. 15
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| |colspan="2"|'''Fanfare'''<br/>Allegro giusto (8 bars)
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| | No. 16
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| |colspan="2"|'''Final March''' (''Marche finale)<br/>''Allegro risoluto ma non troppo (19 bars)
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| |}
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| In the published score, No. 1 is marked to be played twice (on each appearance of the ghost). No. 8 is a shortened version of No. 4, and No. 14 is an exact repeat of No. 12.
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| A complete concert performance of Tchaikovsky's music to ''Hamlet'' lasts around 50 minutes.
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| ==Composition==
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| In late January/early February 1888, Tchaikovsky received a letter from his friend the actor [[Lucien Guitry]] informing him that Grand Duchess Mariya Pavlovna (1854–1920), a sister-in-law of Tsar [[Alexander III]], wanted to organize a gala charity production in the Mariinsky Theatre in late March/early April. Among other things, she wanted Act III from [[Shakespeare]]'s tragedy ''Hamlet'' to be staged, with [[Guitry]] in the title role, and with an overture by Tchaikovsky. [[Guitry]], however, realised that the composer might not have enough time to write a whole overture by that deadline, and he asked him instead for an entr'acte to fill the interval between the Players' Scene and the scene in the Queen's closet where Hamlet kills Polonius <ref name="note1"/>.
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| Three years previously, in April 1885, Tchaikovsky had been so impressed by [[Guitry]]'s performance as Edmund Kean in [[Alexandre Dumas]]' play inspired by the great English actor's life: ''Kean, or Disorder and Genius'' (in which there is a scene where Kean plays Hamlet), that he wrote to [[Guitry]] urging him to perform a Shakespearian role, promising that "in the event that you should play ''Hamlet'' or ''Romeo'', I shall write an overture and entr'actes specially tailored to the resources of the orchestra at the ''Mikhaylovsky Theatre''. It will be a great pleasure for me, and I shall be proud to participate a little in your triumph" <ref name="note2"/>.
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| Now reminded of his earlier promise, Tchaikovsky agreed to write the music for ''Hamlet''. Although [[Guitry]] subsequently wrote to Tchaikovsky to tell him that the production had been cancelled, the composer was so captivated by the idea of setting ''Hamlet ''to music — something he had already considered twelve years earlier — that in the course of the summer he proceeded to write his [[Hamlet (overture-fantasia)|overture-fantasia]] on the subject.
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| Two years later, however, Tchaikovsky fulfilled his earlier promise to write proper stage music for ''Hamlet'' for the farewell performance which [[Guitry]] was due to give at the Mikhaylovsky Theatre on 9/21 February 1891, and for which the actor had chosen [[Shakespeare]]'s tragedy in a French translation by [[Alexandre Dumas]] ''père'' and [[Paul Meurice]]. Together with a copy of the play, in which he had marked all the points at which he wished the music to set in, [[Guitry]] sent Tchaikovsky a letter with more detailed instructions, adding jestingly at the end that the last thing he wanted was to appear "like a second [[Détroyat]]" in the composer's eyes, and so he asked him not to trouble himself too much over this music <ref name="note3"/>.
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| In 1890, [[Lucien Guitry]] approached Tchaikovsky once more with a request for music to ''Hamlet'', for a benefit performance that would be [[Guitry]]'s last appearance on the Russian stage <ref name="note4"/>. The composer agreed, and began work around 7/19 January 1891 at [[Frolovskoye]], but with little enthusiasm, as he confessed to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]] in a letter of 11/23 January: "''Hamlet'' is coming along. But it is such unpleasant work!" <ref name="note5"/>. On 22 January/3 February, he told [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]] that he had finished the music to ''Hamlet'' and sent it to [[Guitry]] <ref name="note6"/>.
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| It appears that the Fanfare (Act II, No. 5a) was written during rehearsals for the stage production. The manuscript score is dated 8/20 February 1891.
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| ==Arrangements==
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| The three vocal numbers (Nos. 10, 11 and 13) were also arranged by the composer for voices with piano in January 1891. All the remaining numbers were arranged for solo piano by [[Eduard Langer]].
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| ==Subject==
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| The play ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'' was written between 1599 and 1601 by the English dramatist [[William Shakespeare]] (1564–1616). The French translation of the play made by [[Alexandre Dumas]] (1802-1870) and [[Paul Meurice]] (1818-1905) was first performed in [[Paris]] in 1847.
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| ==Performances==
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| The performance of ''Hamlet'' with [[Guitry]] in the title-role took place as scheduled at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] on 9/21 February 1891 with Tchaikovsky's incidental music. The parts of Ophelia and the Gravedigger were performed by A. Laine and H. Lorther respectively.
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| Writing to his brother [[Anatoly]], the composer reported: "My music to ''Hamlet'', put on for [[Guitry]]'s benefit, went down very well with everyone. [[Guitry]] was superb" <ref name="note7"/>. The first performance in [[Moscow]] took place on 21 November/3 December 1891 at the Maly Theatre.
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| In 1893, the conductor [[Michał Hertz]] in [[Warsaw]] sought Tchaikovsky's permission to perform his music to ''Hamlet'' in a production by the [[Warsaw]] dramatic theatre, but the composer declined after consulting his brother [[Modest]], who in his view did not consider it to be a serious artistic work. "I wrote it very quickly for the ''benefit'' of one of my friends, only so that he could amuse himself in seeing my ''name'' on the concert bill. It is scored for a very small orchestra, and would not be suitable for a Grand Imperial Theatre". Instead, Tchaikovsky suggested that [[Michał Hertz|Hertz]] might wish to consider using the "wonderful music to ''Hamlet'' by [[George Henschel]]" <ref name="note8"/>.
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| [[Guitry]], however, was delighted with the music Tchaikovsky had provided. After he had returned to France for good he sent Tchaikovsky, as a token of his gratitude, a bronze cockerel by the French sculptor Auguste Cain (1822–1894). This present can still be seen today in the composer's living-room at the [[Klin]] House-Museum.
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| ==Publication==
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| In June 1892 [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] published the full score and orchestral parts. The vocal-piano reduction — with the vocal numbers (Nos. 10, 11 and 13) arranged by the composer, and the remaining numbers by [[Eduard Langer]] — was issued together with a re-issue of the full score in February 1896.
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| The full score of Tchaikovsky's incidental music was published in volume 14 of Tchaikovsky's ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'', edited by Irina Iordan (1962). The vocal-piano reduction was not published as part of the collected works.
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| ==Autographs==
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| Tchaikovsky's autograph score has been lost, but his manuscript of the additional fanfare (Act II, No. 5a) is now preserved in the {{RUS-SPsc}} in [[Saint Petersburg]] {{TOW2|gamlet|(ф. 384, No. 54)}}.
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| ==Recordings==
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| ==Related Works==
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| The Overture is an abridged and re-scored version of the overture-fantasia ''[[Hamlet (overture-fantasia)|Hamlet]]'', and themes from the latter are used in two of the Melodramas (Act I, Nos. 1 and 3), and the concluding march (Act V, No. 16).
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| Tchaikovsky also re-used music from three other earlier works:
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| * The Entr'acte (Act II, No. 5) is an abridged version of the ''Alla tedesca'' movement from his [[Third Symphony]] (1875)
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| * The Entr'acte (Act III, No. 7) is based on the Melodrama (Act II, No. 10) from the incidental music to ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'' (1873)
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| * The Entr'acte (Act IV, No. 9) is a reworking of the ''[[Elegy]]'' for string orchestra (1884).
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| ==External Links==
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| * {{imslpscore|Hamlet_(incidental_music),_Op.67b_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)|Hamlet (incidental music)}}
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| ==Notes and References==
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| <references>
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| <ref name="note1">Letter from [[Lucien Guitry]] to Tchaikovsky, 25 January/6 February 1888 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive. This letter has been published in {{bib|1970/6|Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты}} (1970), p. 209–210, p. 108–110 (Russian translation).</ref>
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| <ref name="note2">[[Letter 2677a]] to [[Lucien Guitry]], 1/13 April 1885.</ref>
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| <ref name="note3">Letter from [[Lucien Guitry]] to Tchaikovsky, 4/16 October 1890. See {{bib|1970/6|Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты}} (1970), p. 212 (original French text), p. 111–112 (Russian translation).</ref>
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| <ref name="note4">Letter from [[Lucien Guitry]] to Tchaikovsky, 5/17 September 1890 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive. This letter has been published in {{bib|1970/6|Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты}} (1970), p. 211, p. 111 (Russian translation).</ref>
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| <ref name="note5">[[Letter 4300]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 11/23 January 1891.</ref>
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| <ref name="note6">[[Letter 4312]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 22 January/3 February 1891.</ref>
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| <ref name="note7">[[Letter 4329]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 12/24 February 1891.</ref>
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| <ref name="note8">[[Letter 5020]] to [[Michał Hertz]], 23 August/4 September 1893.</ref>
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| </references>
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| [[Category:Incidental Music]]
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