Tchaikovsky
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TH 84

The Nightingale

Соловушко

For unaccompanied mixed chorus, D major (1889).

• Composed January 1889.
• Text by Tchaikovsky.
• Scored for unaccompanied SATB chorus.
• First performed in Saint Petersburg, 19/31 March 1889, conducted by Fedor Bekker.
• Dedicated to the Chorus of the Imperial Opera in Saint Petersburg.
• Average duration: 3m 40s.

History

Composed at Frolovskoe between 9/21 January and 12/24 January 1889. In a letter of 8/20 January 1889, Fedor Bekker approached Tchaikovsky with a commission to write two secular choruses for a choral concert to be given by the Imperial Opera [1]. It seems that the composer wrote one chorus at once, and on 12/24 January gave it to Petr Jurgenson, who was visiting Tchaikovsky at Frolovskoe [2]. On 18/30 January 1889, before departing for Saint Petersburg, and then on abroad, Tchaikovsky wrote to Jurgenson: "Don't forget to send Bekker my chorus' [3]. On 21 January/2 February 1889 the publisher replied: " Bekker’s chorus is being copied out", and on 26 January/7 February reported: "The chorus for Bekker has been copied out" [4].

The chorus was published by Petr Jurgenson in December 1889 [5]. It was performed for the first time in a concert of the Imperial Opera in Saint Petersburg on 19/31 March 1889, conducted by Fedor Bekker. The solo performer was G. Mel’ichenko. On 13/25 December 1892 the chorus The Nightingale was performed at a concert of the Russian Choral Society in Moscow, conducted by Anton Arenskii.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), p. 357
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

References:

1. Letter from Fedor Bekker to Tchaikovsky, 8/20 January 1889 — Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
2. See Дневники П. И. Чайковского (1923), p. 220 [back]
3. Letter 3373 to Petr Jurgenson, 18/30 January 1889. At the same time Tchaikovsky made for Bekker an arrangement for chorus a cappella of the children’s song Legend [back]
4. Letters from Petr Jurgenson to Tchaikovsky, 21 January/2 February and 26 January/7 February 1889 [back]
5. Passed by the censor on 15/27 December 1889 [back]