Musical works by Tchaikovsky: list

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

We all know very well the most popular works of Tchaikovsky. This includes music for the ballets "The Nutcracker", "Swan Lake", and the opera "The Queen of Spades" with its unique overture, and numerous pieces from the "Children's Album". This list can be continued indefinitely and, listening to each item, literally enjoy every note. However, now we offer to enjoy the most exquisite creations of this author. Among them will be both the most famous musical works of Tchaikovsky, and those that are far from being heard by everyone. Well, let's go!

Swan Lake

The music for this unique dance production was written by a genius in 1877. It was based on the German legend about the beautiful girl Odette, who was turned into a white swan by evil spells. According to the composer himself, the inspiration for writing the ballet came to him after visiting one of the Alpine lakes, the beauty of which he was simply amazed. This picture includes, one might say, the most famous works of Tchaikovsky. The list starts with Dancelittle swans”, and continues with odes to Odette and Odile, a drawn-out and slightly sad “Adagio”, which sounds throughout the entire production. It is also worth mentioning the beautiful w altz, chardash, mazurka, the final “Dance of the Swan Queen” and other musical motifs that we all seem to have heard from birth.

The Nutcracker

The favorite ballet of every child, who has been involved in music and art since childhood. As a rule, it is staged in theaters on New Year's Eve, because its script, the performance of the dancers and the props are so bright and festive that an atmosphere of magic and mystery is really created. The ballet contains very simple to perform, but nevertheless very beautiful works by Tchaikovsky. Children always like to start the list with "W altz of the Flowers" - this play is the most vivid and memorable of all. The next most popular one is Pas de de Fairy Dragee. During the first production of the ballet, Pyotr Ilyich got hold of an instrument that was unthinkable for Russia at that time - the celesta. Since then, this piece has been performed only on the celesta. Of course, in the list of the most striking works that sound in The Nutcracker, one cannot miss the “Chinese dance”, “Spanish dance”, trepak, “Dance of the Shepherds”, “Arabic dance”, march and many other beautiful motifs.

Sleeping Beauty

Another brilliant ballet by Tchaikovsky, which was written by him on the basis of the fairy tale of the same name. According to the plot created by the Frenchman Charles Perrault, before Pyotr Ilyich I already triedput the ballet composer Ferdinand Herold. However, his version was not successful. Some argue that the production simply did not have enough time for promotion, since literally this year an analogue written by our fellow countryman came out. He won success on the stages of all European and domestic theaters with his brightness, outrageousness and non-standard solutions. This included the works of P. I. Tchaikovsky, which are not as popular as the prologues and odes from Swan Lake or The Nutcracker. However, if you listen to them, feel the whole atmosphere of the ballet, you can feel the incredible atmosphere of a fairy tale and magic that the author put into each sound.

Queen of Spades

In 1887, Tchaikovsky received an order to write an opera based on poems by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, The Queen of Spades. At first, the composer abandoned this idea, as he believed that this plot was not at all suitable for the big stage. However, after thinking for several years, he nevertheless changed his mind and began to work on this proposal. As a result, new works by Tchaikovsky appeared, which were already not only instrumental in nature, but were also supplemented by the main vocal part. Among the masterpieces that make up The Queen of Spades are Gremkin's aria, Herman's monologue, the romance Dear Friends, as well as a whole host of duets.

Eugene Onegin

Some events that took place on the personal front of the composer in 1877 forced his creative nature to embody his experiences in music. Yes, for absolutelyin a short period of time, a new opera was born, which was built on the basis of the novel "Eugene Onegin". The musical works of Tchaikovsky, which sound on behalf of the main characters of this story, are heard by every music lover. This is Lensky's aria, and the scene of Tatyana's letter, as well as Onegin himself. The opera features the most beautiful w altzes and polonaises, plays and other motifs that most clearly reveal the essence of the entire work that tells us about social inequalities and love.

Children's Album

Under the author's sub title "Twenty-Four Easy Pieces for Piano" in 1878 Pyotr Ilyich published the "Children's Album". Everyone who studied at a music school must have played at least something from the pages of this collection. We will not list absolutely everything, but we will name only a few. These are “Winter Morning”, “Disease of the Doll”, “New Doll”, “Neapolitan Song”, “Old French Song”, “Sweet Dream”, “Russian Song”, w altz, polka, mazurka, “Kamarinskaya” … Actually each of the above pieces is very simple and understandable both in analysis and in the game, the transfer of shades. But with this simplicity, the extraordinary beauty of sound is combined in a unique way, and every melody can be enjoyed constantly. We also note that in the future, such composers as Grieg, Debussy, Bartok, Schumann, took these same pieces written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky as the basis for their new opuses. The works also formed the basis of the ballet, which was staged in 1999 in Yugoslavia and received many awards.

Seasons

Approximately in 1875, Tchaikovsky's longtime friend and partner, Bernard, invited him to write a cycle of works that would characterize exactly all the seasons. After a short hesitation, the composer agreed to this proposal and began to work. Literally a month later, within the framework of this cycle, the first work by Tchaikovsky was published. The Four Seasons, as conceived by Bernard, were to consist of 12 pieces, with which their author did an excellent job. We also note that the title of each work was also not invented by the composer himself. Well, let's name in order which works by Tchaikovsky were included in this album:

• "January. By the fireside.”
• “February. Maslenitsa.
• "March. Song of the Lark.”
• "April. Snowdrop.”
• "May. White nights.”
• "June. Barcarolle.”
• "July. Song of the mower.”
• "August. Harvest.”
• “September. Hunting.”
• “October. Autumn Song"
• “November. On the troika.”
• "December. Christmas time.”

Slavonic March

Listing all the brightest and most famous works of Tchaikovsky, it is simply impossible to lose sight of this amazing march. The composer wrote it in 1876 at the request of the Russian Musical Society. The work was composed as a sign of struggle and protest against the Ottoman yoke on the territory of Russia and other Slavic states. The creator of this musical masterpiece himself for a long time calledhis Serbo-Russian March. It contained many motifs characteristic of folk songs and dances of this people. This picture was complemented by purely Russian tunes, in particular the anthem of the empire “God Save the Tsar.”

As Tchaikovsky did. Analysis of works

A significant place in the work of the composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky is occupied by small piano pieces. As a rule, they are a very accurate description of any aspect of life. It can be rural landscapes, certain evenings that the author remembers, or events. The most important thing is that any picture that the author undertook, as a result, conveyed all its essence with great accuracy and corresponded to the name. It is also impossible not to notice that in all of Tchaikovsky's works, even those intended for an orchestra or chamber ensemble, a very lyrical, sentimental theme can be traced. Any of his plays or overtures are filled with tenderness, lightness and a certain sadness, which is why listening to them is so gratifying.