Tchaikovsky
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TH 16

Dmitrii the Pretender and Vasilii Shiuskii

Дмитрий Самозванец и Василий Шуйский

Music for Aleksandr Ostrovskii's dramatic chronicle (1866–67).

1. Introduction to Act I [Интродукция к 1 действию] (A minor)
2. Mazurka [Мазурка] (D minor)

• Composed December 1866 or January 1867.
• Scored for Flute; Oboe; 2 Clarinets (B♭); 2 Bassoons; 2 Horns (F); 2 Trumpets (D); Trombone; Timpani; Cymbals; Violins I; Violins II; Violas; Violoncellos; Double Basses.
• First performed in Moscow, Malyi Theatre, 30 January/11 February 1867.
• Tchaikovsky later reworked the Mazurka for solo piano as the Mazurka de salon, Op. 9, No. 2.
• Average duration: 5m 30s

History

Presumably this music was composed by Tchaikovsky in connection with a performance of Aleksandr Ostrovskii's dramatic chronicle Dmitrii the Pretender and Vasilii Shuiskii on 30 January/11 February 1867 on the stage of the Malyi Theatre in Moscow. Only two numbers were written, for small symphony orchestra: Introduction to Act I, and Mazurka.

The manuscript of a piano arrangement of the Mazurka carries the author’s date: "1867. Hapsal. 15 June" [O.S.].

The dramatic chronicle Dmitrii the Pretender and Vasilii Shuiskii ran frequently at the Malyi Theatre during the 1866/67 season, and also in the following. It appears that Tchaikovsky's music was performed, since the orchestral parts for both pieces, preserved in the archive of the Malyi Theatre Library, contain pencil notes indicating that they were used in performance.

The book Contemporary Tales of Dmitrii the Pretender [1] is to be found in Tchaikovsky’s library. Notes on both volumes indicate that Tchaikovsky took a particular interest in them, and was familiar with the tale when he wrote the music. It seems likely that the composer studied this before composing his music for the chronicle [2].

In the Introduction, Tchaikovsky used the theme and first variation from his student piano work, Theme with Variations.

In 1871, Tchaikovsky reworked the Mazurka for piano as No. 2 of the Three Pieces, Op. 9, under the title Mazurka de Salon.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 191–192
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

References:

1. Сказания современников о Дмитрий Самозванец, in 2 volumes (Saint Petersburg, 1859) [back]
2. See also A. Glumov, Музыка в русском драматическом театре (Moscow. 1955). p. 265 [back]