Even famous composers like Tchaikovsky have their less well known hidden treasures. One of my favourites for a quiet evening of gentle music is his set of piano pieces entitled "The Seasons".
Actually, "The Months" would have been a better title. Tchaikovsky composed these 12 pieces, one at a time, for publication in a musical monthly magazine. This is a bit reminiscent of the way Charles Dickens published so many of his novels and stories -- but the resemblance stops there.
Tchaikovsky actually comes in a bit like both Vivaldi (with violin concertos) and Haydn (an oratorio) in depicting not just the weather conditions but also the human activities of each month. The music is, as I said before, pleasant, not overly demanding, certainly not full of drama and anguish as are some of the composer's favourite works. But it is utterly charming.
Some pieces from this collection are familiar to ballet lovers. Scored for orchestra, they appear most effectively in the score of the ballet "Onegin", arranged by Kurt-Heinz Stolze.
The next generation of Russian composers tossed up Alexander Glazunov. His "Seasons" is unlike all the others I mentioned, an allegorical ballet in 4 scenes, full of symbolic figures like the Spirit of Corn and the Zephyr of Spring. His music follows in the line of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet scores. If it's not as dramatic as "Sleeping Beauty" or "Swan Lake", it's every bit as polished in the varied orchestration, the careful use of key contrasts, and the deployment of memorable melodies. This music was a favourite of my father's, and our whole family grew up knowing it and loving it.
Neither of these Russian treasures has brought forth very many recordings, but both are certainly worth seeking out. Both are certainly available on the ubiquitous Naxos label. See www.classicsonline.com for details.
His June Barcarolle has to be one of the most intimate and moving melodies he has written. Many of his other short piano pieces played by Richter offer great rewards.....Thanks Ken
ReplyDelete