Tchaikovsky
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At Bedtime
(На сон грядущий)
For mixed chorus (?1863/64).
(a) 1st version:
| Catalogue References | TH 70 ; ČW 65 |
|---|---|
| Date | (?) 1863 or 1864 |
| Text | Nikolay Platonovich Ogarev (1813–1877), from his poem of the same name (?early 1840s) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | C minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Andante (C minor, 68 bars) |
| Instrumentation | Chorus (SATB) |
| Autograph Location | Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky House-Museum Archive (a1, No. 122) |
| First Publication | Moscow: Muzgiz, 1941 |
| Average Duration | 4 minutes |
| External Links | IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
 (downloadable score)The Lied and Art Songs Text Page
(text and translations) |
(b) 2nd version:
| Catalogue References | TH 70 ; ČW 66 |
|---|---|
| Date | (?) 1863 or 1864 |
| Text | Nikolay Platonovich Ogarev (1813–1877), from his poem of the same name (?early 1840s) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | C minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Adagio (C minor, 97 bars) |
| Instrumentation | Chorus (SATB) + 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (C), 2 Bassoons + 2 Horns (C), 2 Trumpets (G) + Timpani + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses |
| Autograph Location | Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky House-Museum Archive (a1, No. 123) |
| First Publication | Moscow: Muzgiz, 1960 |
| Average Duration | 7 minutes |
| External Links | IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
(downloadable score) The Lied and Art Songs Text Page
(text and translations) |
History
One of Tchaikovsky’s student works from the conservatory. It exists in two versions — for mixed chorus a cappella, and for the same forces with orchestra. There is no information about the origins of this work. The same text was used by Tchaikovsky for his Op. 27 romance At Bedtime.
The chorus was not published during Tchaikovsky's lifetime.
From:
Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), p. 351
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston