Tchaikovsky
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TH 137

Funeral March

Похоронный марш

On themes from the opera The Oprichnik (1877).

• Composed March 1877.
• Scored for Piano duet (4 hands).
• Dedicated to Nadezhda von Meck.
• Lost.

History

Written by Tchaikovsky in March 1877, at the request of Nadezhda von Meck.

In a letter of 7 March 1877, Nadezhda von Meck approached Tchaikovsky with a request to write a "Marche funèbre" on themes from the opera The Oprichnik: "Now I put it to you", shw wrote, "that from your opera, which I so admire, I should like to have a march, and if you find it possible to do this, I humbly request that it should be for piano four hands" [1].

This work had been completed by Tchaikovsky by 16 March 1877, when he wrote to Nadezhda von Meck: "I do not know if you will b pleased with the march, and whether it comes close to what you had in mind. If not then do not be afraid honestly to tell me so. One day, perhaps, I shall write you something more appropriate" [2].

The piece was not published, and its present whereabouts remain unknown.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 403-404
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

Notes:

1. Letter from Nadezhda von Meck to Tchaikovsky, 7/19 March 1877 - Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
2. Letter 545 to Nadezhda von Meck, 16/28 March 1877 [back]