Tchaikovsky Research : Slavonic March, Op. 31 (TH 45)

Catalogue References	TH 45 ; ČW 42
Date	September 1876 (for a Red Cross charity concert in aid of victims of the war between Serbia and Turkey)
Key	B♭ minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato in modo di Marcia funebre (B♭ minor)—Più mosso. Allegro (B♭ major) (240 bars)
Instrumentation	2 Piccolos, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (B♭), 2 Bassoons + 4 Horns (F), 2 Cornets (B♭), 2 Trumpets (B♭), 3 Trombones, Tuba + Timpani, Side Drum, Cymbals, Bass Drum, Tam-tam + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
Arrangements	Also arranged for solo piano by Tchaikovsky, September 1876.
Notable Performances	Moscow, 1st Russian Musical Society symphony concert (in aid of the Slavonic Charitable Society), 5/17 November 1876, conducted by Nikolay Rubinstein Moscow, Bolshoi Theatre concert, 13/25 February 1877, conducted by Tchaikovsky Manchester, Hallé Orchestra concert, 19 February/3 March 1881, conducted by Charles Hallé Boston, Music Hall, 23 February/7 March 1883, conducted by George Henschel London, 5th London Symphony Concert, 1/13 December 1887, conducted by George Henschel Paris, 23rd Colonne symphony concert, 24 March/5 April 1891, conducted by Tchaikovsky Moscow, Aleksandr Ziloti’s concert, 6/18 November 1891, conducted by Tchaikovsky Saint Petersburg, Charity Concert, 1/13 December 1891, conducted by Tchaikovsky
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture (ф. 88, Nos. 86–87) — full score and arrangement for piano duet
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1879 (arrangement for solo piano), 1880 (full score)
Average Duration	10 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) Wikipedia (article)

History

Composed and orchestrated in September 1876 in Moscow. The march was commissioned by the director of the Russian Musical Society for a concert in aid of the Red Cross Society [1].

It is not possible to establish exactly when work on the march was begun. In a letter to Modest Tchaikovsky of 17/29 September 1876 the composer wrote: "Meanwhile my compositional activities have ground to a halt. Since returning I’ve written next to nothing" [2]. Nevertheless, by 25 September/7 October the composition of the march had been completed, according to the author’s date on the manuscript.

During its composition and up to the time of publication, the composer himself referred to the march as the "Serbo-Russian": the autograph inscription on the title page of the manuscript score reads: "Serbo-Russian march on Slavonic folk themes" [3].

In the Slavonic March, Tchaikovsky made use of authentic Serbian folk songs. On the manuscript of the piano arrangement of the march, the author marked the titles of the songs he used at the corresponding points in the score [4]. Besides these, Tchaikovsky also used the theme of the Russian national anthem.

In October 1876 the march was printed by Pyotr Jurgenson in the author’s arrangement for piano under the title Slavonic March. The same publisher also printed an arrangement for piano duet by Aleksandra Batalina (Hubert) in February 1879; the full score in February 1880; and the orchestral parts in December 1887. In 1891 a new edition of the full score and parts was produced [5], and in May 1893 an arrangement of the march for two pianos and eight hands by Eduard Langer was published.

The first performance of the march took place on 5/17 November 1876 in Moscow, conducted by Nikolay Rubinstein at a symphony concert of the Russian Musical Society in aid of the Slavonic Benevolent Society. The March had great success and was repeated by popular demand [6]. Tchaikovsky wrote about this concert on 8/20 November 1876 to Aleksandra Davydova: "Last Saturday my Serbo-Russian march was played here for the first time, which produced a whole storm of patriotic enthusiasm" [7].

Slavonic March

(Славянский марш)

History

Notes: