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About the C-clef

О цефаутном ключе

Article (1892).

Catalogue References TH 320 ; ČW 591 (as "About the C-fa-ut Clef")
Date by 11 October 1892
Language Russian
Autograph Location Saint Petersburg: Central Library of the Mariinskii Theatre
First Publication Moscow: Muzgiz, 1957

History

Little is known about the origin of this work. On 11 October 1892, Tchaikovsky wrote to Vladimir Pogozhev, at the Office of the Imperial Theatres in Saint Petersburg: "I have fulfilled my promise as far as I could. Today I am sending you the prayer on the capture of Slüssen-Burg [sic]. At the start you will find an explanation of the C-clef. In the middle I have translated one page of manuscript into contemporary notation" [1] .

It seems likely that Tchaikovsky was asked by an official of the Imperial Theatres to adapt an old manuscript of church songs from ancient to modern musical notation. The song which Tchaikovsky adapted was a thanksgiving prayer for the capture of Schliesselburg (Шлиссельбург) Fortress near Saint Petersburg in 1702.

From: The Tchaikovsky Handbook, vol. 1 (2002), p. 443
Copyright © 2002 Alexander Poznansky and Brett Langston

Notes:
  1. Letter 4783 to Vladimir Pogozhev, 11/23 October 1892 [back]

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