Tchaikovsky
www.tchaikovsky-research.net
Two Songs
(Две песни)
With piano accompaniment (1875).
No. 1. I Should Like in a Single Word (Хотел бы в единое слово)
| Catalogue References | TH 100 ; ČW 244 |
|---|---|
| Date | April–May 1875 |
| Text | Lev Aleksandrovich Mey (1822–1862), from an untitled poem (1859) — a translation from the German poem Ich wollt', meine Schmerzen ergössen, from the cycle Die Heimkehr (1824) by Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | D minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Allegro moderato (D minor, 49 bars) |
| Instrumentation | High voice + Piano |
| Autograph Location | Moscow (Russia): Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 134) |
| First Publication | Saint Petersburg: M. Bernard, 1876 |
| Average Duration | 2 minutes |
| External Links |
IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
(downloadable score)The Lied and Art Songs Text Page (text and translations) |
No. 2. We Have Not Far to Walk (Не долго нам гулять)
| Catalogue References | TH 100 ; ČW 245 |
|---|---|
| Date | April–May 1875 |
| Text | Nikolay Porfiryevich Grekov (1807–1866), from an untitled poem (by 1860) |
| Language | Russian |
| Key | E major |
| Instrumentation | Medium voice + Piano |
| Autograph Location | Moscow (Russia): Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 135) |
| First Publication | Saint Petersburg: M. Bernard, 1876 |
| Average Duration | 3 minutes |
| External Links |
IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
(downloadable score) The Lied and Art Songs Text Page (text and translations) |
History
Both songs were apparently composed in Moscow, by 3/15 May 1875, on which Tchaikovsky asked Pyotr Jurgenson "to send to the two romances to Mr Bernard's business address at the earliest opportunity" [1].
The songs were first printed in separate editions of the journal Nuvellist in September 1875 and February 1876 respectively [2]. They were independently reprinted by Nikolay Bernard in February 1876, and by Pyotr Jurgenson in 1885 [3].
From:
Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 443–444
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston
Notes:
- Letter 399 to Pyotr Jurgenson, 3/15 May 1875 [back]
- Both songs were passed by the censor on 28 June/10 July 1875 [back]
- Passed by the censor on 3/15 September 1885 [back]