Tchaikovsky
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Sérénade mélancolique

(Меланхолическая серенада)

For violin with orchestra, Op. 26 (1875).

Catalogue References	TH 56 ; ČW 58 (as "Melancholy Serenade")
Date	(?)February 1875
Key	B minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Andante (B minor, 207 bars)
Instrumentation	Violin solo + 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (B♭), 2 Bassoons + 4 Horns (F) + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
Arrangements	Also arranged for violin with piano by Tchaikovsky, (?)February 1875
Notable Performances	Moscow, 7th Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 16/28 January 1876, Adolph Brodsky (violin), conducted by Nikolay Rubinstein Saint Petersburg, 1st Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 6/18 November 1876, Adolph Brodsky (violin), conducted by Eduard Nápravník Paris, 3rd Russian symphony concert, 8/20 September 1878, Stanislaw Barcewicz (violin), conducted by Nikolay Rubinstein London, Crystal Palace, 28 April/10 May 1879, Pablo de Sarasate (violin), conducted by August Manns Tiflis, 2nd Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 2/14 April 1886, Konstantin Gorsky (violin), conducted by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov Kiev, 3rd Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 4/16 February 1889, Pavel Pustarnakov (violin) Paris, 23rd Colonne symphony concert, 24 March/5 April 1891, Johannes Wolf (violin), conducted by Tchaikovsky Warsaw, 2/14 January 1892, Stanislaw Barcewicz (violin), conducted by Tchaikovsky
Autograph Location	Lost
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1876 (arrangement for violin with piano), 1879 (full score)
Average Duration	10 minutes
Dedication	Leopold Auer (1845–1930) [later withdrawn]
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score)

History

Composed in January–February 1875 in Moscow. There is no surviving information on when the piece was orchestrated.

In January 1875 in Moscow, Tchaikovsky was acquainted with Leopold Auer [1]. It is possible that at this time he promised to write for him a work for violin with orchestra. Information concerning the composition of the work is very scarce. Only in a letter to Modest Tchaikovsky of 13/25 February did the composer report: "I have finished my Piano Concerto, and have already written a violin piece I have promised to Auer" [2].

The Sérénade was also dedicated to him. In 1881, Tchaikovsky was offended by Leopold Auer's refusal to perform the Violin Concerto, and withdrew that work's dedication to him, and at the same time presumably also withdrew the dedication of the Sérénade mélancolique. On 19/31 December 1881, Pyotr Jurgenson wrote to Tchaikovsky: "We are deleting Auer's name from the title pages, but is it too late? You see, this is only on the new editions. The Serenade, I think, can be done quickly" [3]. This intention was not realized, and the dedication to Leopold Auer remained on the Sérénade mélancolique.

On 16/28 January 1876, Adolph Brodsky performed the Sérénade mélancolique at the seventh symphony concert of the Russian Musical Society in Moscow. This seems to have been the first performance of the Sérénade. Leopold Auer is believed to have performed the Sérénade on 6/18 November 1876 at a symphony concert of the Russian Musical Society in Saint Petersburg.

The Sérénade mélancolique was published by Pyotr Jurgenson—in February 1876 the orchestral parts appeared; in April the same year—the arrangement for violin with piano; and in November 1879—the full score [4].

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 319–320
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

Notes:

1. See Leopold Auer, «П. И. Чайковский в воспоминаниях», Биржевые ведоиости, 24 October 1913 [back]
2. See letter 391 to Modest Tchaikovsky, 13/25 February 1875 [back]
3. Letter from Pyotr Jurgenson to Tchaikovsky, 19/31 December 1881 — Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
4. See letters 865, 870, 872, 883, 885, 888 and 891 to Pyotr Jurgenson, 1/13 July, 12/24 July, 18/30 July, 29 July/10 August, 2/14 August, 3/15 August and 8/20 August 1878 [back]