Tchaikovsky
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Chorus of Flowers and Insects

(Хор цветов и насекомых)

For children's voices & mixed chorus with orchestra (1869–70).

Catalogue References	TH 71 ; ČW 441
Date	December 1869–January 1870. Originally intended as a scene for the projected opera Mandragora
Text	Sergey Aleksandrovich Rachinsky (1833–1902)
Language	Russian
Key	D major
Instrumentation	Chorus (SATB), Boys' Choir + 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (A), 2 Bassoons + 4 Horns (F) + Timpani + Harp, Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
Arrangements	Vocal score arranged for mixed chorus, boys' choir and piano by Tchaikovsky, January 1870
First Performance	Moscow, 18/30 December 1870, conducted by Nikolay Rubinstein
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture (ф. 88, Nos. 35–36) — full and vocal scores
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1902 (vocal score), 1904 (full score)
Average Duration	7 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score)

History

The Chorus of Flowers and Insects was written at the end of 1869 in Moscow, and was conceived as a fragment from Tchaikovsky's projected opera Mandragora [1].

No information survives concerning work on the chorus. The manuscript of the piano score has the autograph note: "27 December 1869 [O.S.]. Moscow". It is not possible to establish when the orchestration was made, except that in 1870 the chorus was performed. The first reference to this chorus occurs in a letter to Modest Tchaikovsky of 13/25 January 1870: "... I have written a chorus of insects for the opera Mandragora, the subject of which I think is familiar to you; it was written by Rachinsky" [2].

The chorus was performed at the sixth symphony concert given by the Moscow branch of the Russian Musical Society on 18/30 December 1870, as Chorus of Elves [Хор эльфов], and later at the second concert of the Free Music School in Saint Petersburg, conducted by Mily Balakirev, on 18/30 December 1871. After the first performance, Tchaikovsky was prevailed upon by Karl Albrecht to revise the middle section, but subsequently it was left unchanged [3].

The chorus was published for the first time by Pyotr Jurgenson in June 1902—in the form of a choral score with piano accompaniment, and parts [4]. Since the full score was believed to be lost, the chorus was orchestrated by Aleksandr Glazunov in 1898 (according to the date on the manuscript) [5]. It was published in this version by Pyotr Jurgenson in April 1904 (full score) and November 1904 (parts) [6]. The original full score was later found, and published for the first time in 1950.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 351–352
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

Notes:

1. On the manuscript of the piano score, Tchaikovsky wrote "Chorus of Insects", and on the full score: "Chorus of Flowers and Insects from a fantastic opera Mandragora" [back]
2. Letter 178 to Modest Tchaikovsky, 13/25 January 1870 [back]
3. See letters 194 and 242 to Mily Balakirev, 1/13 June and 22 October/3 November 1871, and Balakirev’s reply to Tchaikovsky, October 1871 — Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
4. Passed by the censor on 28 May 1902. See also letters from Pyotr Jurgenson to Modest Tchaikovsky, 10/23 May 1902 and 11/24 December 1903 — Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
5. Glazunov’s manuscript is preserved in the Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
6. See letter from Pyotr Jurgenson to Modest Tchaikovsky, 27 May/8 June 1898 — Klin House-Museum Archive [back]