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Tchaikovsky - The Snow Maiden                | Brilliant Classics 94038

Tchaikovsky - The Snow Maiden

New Item

Label: Brilliant Classics

Cat No: 94038

Barcode: 5028421940380

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 1

Genre: Vocal/Choral

Release Date: 17th May 2010

This product has now been deleted. Information is for reference only.

Contents

Artists

Natalia Erassova (mezzo-soprano)
Alexander Archipov (tenor)
Nikolai Vassiliev (baritone)
USSR State Choir & Orchestra

Conductor

Andrei Chistiakov

Works

Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich

The Snow Maiden, op.12

Artists

Natalia Erassova (mezzo-soprano)
Alexander Archipov (tenor)
Nikolai Vassiliev (baritone)
USSR State Choir & Orchestra

Conductor

Andrei Chistiakov

About

Tchaikovsky thought highly of his music to Ostrovky’s drama The Snow Maiden, writing to his patroness Nadezhda von Meck in 1879: ‘one of my favourite offspring…I think this music is imbued with the joys of spring  that I was experiencing at the time’.

It was an important commission for a composer who in 1873 was still establishing his reputation, and who had his first 3 symphonies and first piano concerto performed to great popular acclaim. The production of the drama was lavish, combining all three performing arts – drama, dance and music.

The premiere cost the vast sum of 15000 roubles, and although the production was staged with success
in 1873 and 1874 (more for the music than the drama which was judged as rather static), after 9 runs it was never seen again, due to the prohibitive cost.

The music, however, was performed every now and again, but it has remained one of the composer's least known works. Tchaikovsky used some of the material for his music to Hamlet in 1891, but he had always hoped to incorporate the score into an opera on the Snow Maiden story. When Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera on the same story appeared, Tchaikovsky was seething with anger, and wrote to his brother Modest ‘it is as if they have taken from me by force something that is innately mine and dear to me and are presenting it to the public in bright new clothes’.

The music is characteristically colourful, especially the chorus depicting shivering birds and the procession of the carnival. It gives plenty of hints of the great ballet scores that would follow.

Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Dance and choruses of the birds
3. Winter’s monologue
4. Carnival procession
5. Melodrama
6. Interlude
7. Lehl’s first song
8. Lehl’s second song
9. Interlude
10. Chant of the blind bards
11. Melodrama
12. Chorus of the people and the courtiers
13. Round of the young maidens
14. Dance of the tumblers
15. Lehl’s third song
16. Brussila’s song
17. Apparition of the Spirit of the Wood
18. Interlude-The Spring Fairy
19. Tsar Berendey’s march and chorus
20. Final Chorus

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