TCHAIKOVSKY WITH BALANCHINE dances together . Instead , with Swan Lake , Tchaikovsky gave them a heart-breaking romance with a tragic ending , expressed by music of compelling emotional power .
The story , which Tchaikovsky may have had a hand in writing , tells of young Prince Siegfried , who , having turned 21 , is being urged by his mother to marry a suitable princess . But instead , in Act Two he follows the flight of a flock of swans to a magical lake where they are transformed into beautiful maidens . Siegfried falls in love with their leader , the entrancing Odette . Act Three takes place at a palace ball , where noble families have brought their eligible daughters for Siegfried ’ s inspection . An evil sorcerer , however , ensnares him with a black-clad beauty , Odile , who looks exactly like Odette . Too late , Siegfried realizes he has been betrayed , and in Act Four he rushes back to the lake to beg Odette ’ s forgiveness , with fatal results .
We will hear music from the Suite published posthumously in 1900 to capitalize on Swan Lake ’ s newfound popularity . Its first number , “ Scène ,” is the music that opens Act Two as Siegfried arrives at the lakeshore and sees the swan maidens for the first time . The yearning oboe melody — one of Tchaikovsky ’ s finest melodic inspirations — is the theme associated with the swans and particularly with Odette .
Tchaikovsky was the master of the balletic waltz , and the “ Waltz ” from Act One ’ s party in celebration of Prince Siegfried ’ s coming of age is one of his earliest and best examples . A big , multisectional dance , it wonderfully contrasts the warmth of strings against the cool glitter of woodwinds .
After the charmingly airy “ Dance of the Little Swans ,” comes the enchanted pas de deux ( another “ Scène ”) from Act Two in which Odette , represented by the solo violin , and Siegfried , by the solo cello , express their love for each other . This also features one of the greatest harp passages in the orchestral repertoire . Again , the theme of yearning for the unattainable ideal is achingly expressed here .
The “ Hungarian Dance ” and the “ Russian Dance ” are from the colorful parade of national character dances of the
Act Three ball scene . The “ Russian Dance ” was added by Tchaikovsky after he ’ d composed the score at the request of the 1877 production ’ s ballet master , who felt that a dance in their own national style was needed to please the audience .
From Act Four , the “ Finale ” is the final ten minutes of the ballet , dramatically tracing the tragic denouement . In a stormriven night , Siegfried frantically pursues Odette back to the lake and begs her forgiveness for his betrayal . The two lovers throw themselves into the lake , thus freeing the other swans to become women again .
Instrumentation : Two flutes , piccolo , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , four horns , two trumpets , two cornets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , percussion harp and strings .
SERENADE FOR STRINGS IN C MAJOR
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
In 1877 , Tchaikovsky made the disastrous decision of trying to mask his homosexuality by marrying an infatuated young music student , Antonina Milyukova . Within a week of the wedding , he fled from his bride and suffered a nervous breakdown ; the aftermath darkened both his personal life and his creative work for years to follow . Fearing public scandal , he shunned Moscow and St . Petersburg and retreated to country estates belonging to his family or close friends .
Kamenka , the estate outside Kiev belonging to his elder sister and her husband , became one of Tchaikovsky ’ s safe havens . There , in the fall of 1880 , he composed simultaneously two of his most popular works : the 1812 Overture and the Serenade for Strings . While he despised the Overture , written on commission , he poured all his love and craft into the Serenade .
The love stemmed from Tchaikovsky ’ s passion for Mozart , his favorite composer . “ I don ’ t just like Mozart , I idolize him ,” he wrote his devoted patroness Nadezhda von Meck . The Serenade pays homage to the enchanting world of Mozart ’ s serenades and divertimentos , such as Eine kleine Nachtmusik . But while Tchaikovsky borrowed certain Mozartean stylistic conventions , his all-string orchestra is much larger than the dozen or so players used for Mozart ’ s serenades , and the heart of the work is purely his own . In fact , this piece truly belongs to the world of Tchaikovsky ’ s great ballets Swan Lake , Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker ; exquisitely choreographed by George Balanchine , it has effectively become his fourth ballet .
In the key of C major and in four movements , it opens with a stately slow introduction emphasizing the lushness of string sonority in rich chords . This leads to two themes : the first smooth and yearning , the second suggesting fleet footwork with staccato violins and violas over a plucked accompaniment . Both sections are repeated before the opening music returns to provide a grand , symmetrical close .
The two middle movements are among Tchaikovsky ’ s jewels . First comes a glorious , sweeping waltz . It is followed by the third-movement “ Elegy ,” with its mood of tender nostalgia . Its introductory rising scales echo the melodic shape of the waltz . The first violins then sing the principal theme to pizzicato accompaniment ; this soon grows into a passionate pas de deux between the violins and cellos .
The finale opens with the high , floating violin notes that closed “ Elegy .” Tchaikovsky then spins them into a Russian folk tune : a Volga bargehauling song previously used in his folksong collection of 1869 . This neatly accelerates into another folk tune from that collection , which constitutes the main theme of the vivacious Allegro con spirito section . To close , Tchaikovsky returns to the stately introduction from the Serenade ’ s first movement and reveals a delicious surprise . As the tempo accelerates again , we discover that this noble music is none other than the finale ’ s vivacious Russian folksong decked out in sumptuous court costume .
Instrumentation : String orchestra .
Notes by Janet E . Bedell , © 2018
MAR – APR 2018 / OVERTURE 37