- -- -- - T Tr r n ng g i i h h c c S S i i G G n n - -- -- -

K Kh ho oa a N Ng gh h T Th hu u t t
W Wo or rl ld d m mu us si ic c s s H Hi is st to or ry y


















Pyotr
Ilich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky
(7/5/1840 -6/11/1893)

I. S lc tiu s:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky sinh ngy 7/05/1840
trong mt gia nh k s m Votkinsk, gn ni Uran.
Ging Schumann, mt nh son nhc c nh
hng mnh m n ng, Tchaikovsky tng hc v
lut mt cch rt nghim tc trc khi theo ui s
nghip thc s ca mnh.
Sau , ng theo hc ti Trng m nhc St. Petersburg (1863 - 1865). Trong nhng gio
s ca ng c c Anton Rubinstein, ngi dy ng sng tc nhc.
Nm 1866, ng n Moscow vi vai tr l mt gio s v ho m ti mt trng nhc
mi do Nicholas Rubinstein (em ca Anton) thnh lp. Trong hai nm u ti trng nhc ny,
ng vit bn nhc giao hng th nht (Winter Daydreams) v v nhc kch u tin
(Voyevod) ca mnh.
Ti trng nhc, Tchaikovsky quen bit vi nhm cc nh son nhc Nga do Rimsky-
Korsakov v Balakierev ng u.
Chnh nhng xc cm theo ch ngha dn tc ca hai ngi ny truyn cm hng cho
bn nhc giao hng th hai ca Tchaikovsky c tn Little Russian.
Tuy nhin, ch sau mt thi gian ngn, Tchaikovsky sau b hi nhc s khai tr v
c o to v m nhc qu nhiu, theo ch ngha quc t v khng ng l ngi Nga.
Trn thc t, m nhc ca Tchaikovsky, trong su thm vn mang m sc thi Nga
nhng cng thm nhun tnh yu ca ng i vi Mozart v chu nh hng t nhng nh son
nhc ni ting Ty u khc, c bit l m nhc Php ca Bizet v Saint-Sans. Nhng nh
Stravinsky tng vit, m nhc ca Tchaikovsky, vn khng th hin v c trng cht Nga
i vi tt c mi ngi, li thng su sc m hng Nga hn so vi th loi m nhc t lu
c quan nim mt cch d di nh l hnh nh v nt p phong ph ca ngi Moscow.
Th loi nhc ny ca Tchaikovsky mang cht thun Nga chng khc g th ca Pushkin
hay ca khc ca Glinka... Tchaikovsky rt ra nhng v p ny mt cch v thc t nhng
ngun cm hng dn gian v thc t cuc sng.
T 1869 n 1876, Tchaikovsky vit thm 3 v opera na, v bn concerto cho piano.
ng cng l nh ph bnh m nhc vi kh nhiu li khng nh gy chn ng nh:
Nhc ca Wagner chng c ngha g vi ti, nhc ca Brahms cng vy. Ti cm thy b
chc tc khi m s t ph tm thng li c ghi nhn nh mt thin ti. V Beethoven,
ti tha nhn s v i trong mt s tc phm ca ng, nhng ti khng sng bi ng ta...
Tuy nhin, theo Tchaikovsky, Mozart l c Cha m nhc.
Nm 1877, Tchaikovsky vp phi mt sai lm tai hi khi ci mt trong nhng hc tr
ca mnh, Antonina Ivanova Miliukova.
Tchaikovsky, mt ngi a cm qu mc, bt hnh v lun giu kn bnh ng tnh ca
mnh, hy vng rng mt cuc hn nhn ng trn trng vi mt hc tr tn knh thn tng s
l mt gii php kh thi cho cnh ng kh khn.
Tht khng may, ng chn phi mt ph n khng ch khng thng minh, li cn mc
chng cung tng. Cuc hn nhn ny ko di c 9 tun, v ln ti nh im v khin
Tchaikovsky ngh ti vic t t bng cch nhy xung sng ( li cho ng chng vim phi).
Modest, ngi em ca ng, cng b bnh ng tnh, cu sng ng v a ng v St
Petersburg, ni Tchaikovsky tri qua mt cuc khng hong tinh thn thc s.
Vo thi gian ny, Tchaikovsky bt u quan h vi mt go ph giu c, b Nadejda
von Meck, ngi tr thnh ngi bo tr cho ng trong 14 nm tip sau. B lc 46 tui,
l m ca 7 a tr. Nhng b ngh c tr cp cho Tchaikovsky vi iu kin h khng
bao gi gp nhau. Trong qu trnh trao i th t rt nhiu gia hai ngi, b vit: ...Ti s
s giao thip vi ngi. Ti mun ngh v ngi t mt khong cch xa, nghe ngi ni trong
nhc ca ngi v chia s nhng xc cm ca ngi qua .
Mi khi h gp mt nhau ti mt bui ho nhc, hai ngi chng ai ni li no v h
quay mt i trong bi ri ngi ngng. Mi quan h bt thng ny cng vi nhng khon tin
hoa hng ngy cng nhiu cho php Tchaikovsky t b vic dy nhc v sng mt cuc i
sung tc, y mt vng qu yn bnh.
Tuy nhin, cuc sng ni vng v cng khng th lm ng khuy kho bt nhng tn
thng v xc cm, v ng tip tc tri qua nhng cn au u, thng khin ng phi vt v
v ung rt nhiu ru vt qua.
Trong nht k, ng vit: ng nhin, vic lm dng ru l rt c hi. Ti hon ton
ng vi iu ny. Nhng ti, mt ngi au m, lun b khng hong thn kinh, hon ton
khng th lm c vic g m khng dng n ru.
Khi Nadja chm dt mi quan h ca h mt cch t ngt vo nm 1890 do cc lo ngi
ca b v nguy c ph sn, Tchaikovsky b tn thng nng n v tinh thn.
B t chi tr li cc bc th ca ng v do , mi nim tin ca ng v con ngi b
o ln. Tchaikovsky khng bit rng, Nadja phi chu ng cn bnh thn kinh ca b.
T gia nhng nm 80, Tchaikovsky tham gia hot ng vi t cch l nhc trng, biu
din khp ni trong v ngoi nc.
Tchaikovsky ri n New York nm 1891 tham gia vo cc hot ng khnh thnh
Nh ht Carnegie Hall. Nc M quyn r ng, nhng ng vit rng: Ti a thch tt c
mi th nh mt ngi ngi trc mt bn n by tt c nhng tinh hoa ca ngh thut m
thc nhng thiu cm gic ngon ming.
Nm 1892, ng nghe Mahler ch huy v opera Eugene Onegin ti Hamburg.
Quay v Nga, Tchaikovsky vit t khc c mn m Nutcracker Suite, hon tt vo
nm 1892, v bt u bt tay vo thc hin Bn giao hng s 6.
Nm 1893 ng c tng hc v tin s ca trng i hc tng hp Cambrigde Anh.
Tc phm cui cng mang tn Pathtique c coi l tc phm m ng dnh trn tm hn.
Trong vng 1 tun sau ln trnh din u tin tc phm ny ti St. Petersburg, ngy
6/11/1893 ng qua i kh sm vi nguyn nhn c cho l b nhim khun t do ung
nc khng un si, c th l do ch ca ai .
Cng c mt s gi nh cho rng c th ng b u c ngn chn s bi l ca
mt v scandal tnh dc ng gii c lin quan n tng lp qu tc.
Khc vi mt s ng nghip ngi Nga cng thi ca mnh, Tchaikovsky rt c gng
tm ra nhng hnh thi r rng cho t tng ca mnh. Ba bn giao hng cui cng l nhng
thnh cng tt bc ca s tm kim ny, y ln n cc im bng cch x l tuyt vi v
khng theo thng l trong on kt ca Bn giao hng s 6 vi mt phn nhc chm c ko
di, gii to v tiu tan tt c nhng sinh lc ca phn nhc hnh khc ni bt trc .
Tchaikovsky, cng vi Brahms, c l l nhng nh son nhc li lc nht trong giai on
cui th k XIX. Ngoi nhng bn nhc giao hng v dn nhc thnh phng c nhiu ngi
yu thch nh rt nhiu bn concerto khc nhau dnh cho piano, violin v cello.
Tchaikovsky cn li nhng v nhc kch bt h nh Romeo v Juliette, v Khc do
u 1812 v Tu hng Italia... Eugene Onegin v Queen of Spades (Con m Pch) l nhng
tc phm ca Tchaikovsky thng c biu din ti cc nh ht, cn cc v ballet Sleeping
Beauty (Nng cng cha ng trong rng), Swan Lake (H Thin nga) v Nutcracker (Kp ht
d) tr thnh mt phn khng th thiu ca m nhc c in th gii. Hay nhng t ni ting
hn l ba bn t tu n dy, bn serenade cho n dy, bn Ami Piano Trio, tc phm cho c
tu piano...
II. c im sng tc:
Tchaikovsky khng nhng l nhc s Nga v i m cn l nhc s ln th gii. Hot ng
m nhc chnh l Moscow. Sng tc nhiu th loi thnh cng nh giao hng, nhc kch, v
kch, nhc thnh phng, ho tu, romance.
Tc phm phn nh tm t con ngi thi i, tnh cm, kht vng di ch Nga
hong. Miu t cnh thin nhin nc Nga rt c o nh giao hng s 1 Gic m ma ng,
trong tc phm cn cp n nhng cu truyn thn thoi, nhng trang s quang vinh ca
nc Nga.
Nhng tc phm bi kch t n nh cao l giao hng s 5, s 6, nhc kch Con m
pch.
S d ng ni ting v bit kt hp nhun nhuyn m nhc Nga vi m nhc chu u,
m nhc thnh th, nng thn.

III. Tc Phm:
Tchaikovsky sng tc khong 30
tc phm cho dn nhc giao hng gm
c: 7 bn giao hng (6 giao hng v
giao hng c tiu Manfred), nhiu
concertors cho piano, violon, nhiu khc
m mn, giao hng th v t khc giao
hng.
Cc giao hng ca Tchaikovsky
tr tnh v y tnh kch. y l mt
dng giao hng mi trong lch s giao
hng Nga. Bn cnh cng c giao hng mang tnh cht cnh tr sinh hot nh GH s 1;
Nhng c m v con ng ma ng (1866), Ngi th rn Vacula, v kch H Thin Nga,
ba khc m mn: Romeo v Juliette (1869); Bo t (1873); Francesca da Remini (1876).
T 1877 do cng thng vi cuc sng ring t ng b dy v ngao du sang , Anh, Php.
Nhng tc phm trong thi k ny bao gm: Nhc kch Eugene Onegin, C gi Orlian (1879)
v Mazeppa (1883), concerto s 2 cho piano, concerto cho violon...
Thi k cui: tr v Moscow, ng vit giao hng c tiu Manfred; v bn giao
hng s 5 (1888); nhc kch Con m pch, Ngi p ng trong rng (1889), Kp ht d,
Iolanta (1891).
# Stage Works
* Ballets
o Nutcracker (ballet), Op.71
o The Sleeping Beauty (ballet), Op.66
o The Swan Lake (ballet), Op.20
* Operas
o Eugene Onegin (opera), Op.24
o Iolanta (opera), Op.69
o Mazeppa (opera)
o Pique Dame ('The Queen of Spades'; opera), Op.68
o The Maid of Orlans (Jeanne d'Arc; opera)
o The Oprichnik (opera)
o The Slippers (Oxana's Caprices), comic-fantasy opera, Op.14 (revised version of
'Vakula the Smith')
o The Sorceress (opera)
o The Voyevoda (opera), Op.3 (Tchaikovsky destroyed; 3 pieces reconstructed by
Lamm)
o Undine (lyric opera)
* Other Stage Works
o Hamlet (incidental music) for soprano, baritone, and orchestra, Op.67a
o The Snow Maiden (incidental music), Op.12
o Romeo and Juliet (incidental music; sketch for opera)
o Dmitri the Pretender and Vasily Shuysky (incidental music)

# Orchestral Works

* Concertos and Similar Works
o Concert Fantasia for Piano and Orchestra in G, Op.56
o Pezzo capriccioso for cello and orchestra in B-, Op.62
o Piano Concerto No.1 in Bb-, Op.23
o Piano Concerto No.2 in G, Op.44
o Piano Concerto No.3 in Eb, Op. post. 75
o Srnade mlancolique, for violin and orchestra in B-, Op.26
o Valse-scherzo, for violin and orchestra in C, Op.34
o Variations on a Rococo Theme, for cello and orchestra (or cello and piano) in A,
Op.33
o Violin Concerto in D, Op.35
* Symphonies
o Manfred Symphony in B-, Op.58
o Symphony No.1 in G- , Op.13 ('Winter Dreams')
o Symphony No.2 in C-, Op.17 ('Little Russian')
o Symphony No.3 in D, Op.29 ('Polish')
o Symphony No.4 in F-, Op.36
o Symphony No.5 in E-, Op.64
o Symphony No.6 in B-, Op.74 ('Pathtique')
o Symphony No.7 in Eb (reconstruction of sketches)
* Orchestral Suites
o Nutcracker (suite from the ballet), Op.71a
o The Sleeping Beauty (suite from the ballet), Op.66a
o Suite No.1, in D-, Op.43
o Suite No.2, in C ('Charactristique'), Op.53
o Suite No.3, in G, Op.55
o Suite No.4, Op.61 ('Mozartiana')
o The Swan Lake (suite from the ballet), Op.20a
* Other Orchestral Works
o Capriccio Italien, Op.45
o Elegy, for string orchestra in G ('In Memory of Ivan Samarin')
o Fatum (Fate; symphonic poem), Op. post. 77
o Festival Coronation March
o Festival Overture on the Danish National Hymn, Op.15
o 1812 Festival Overture, in Eb, Op.49
o Francesca da Rimini (symphonic fantasy) in E-, Op.32
o Hamlet (fantasy overture), in F-, Op.67
o Jurists' March in D
o Overture in F
o Romeo and Juliet (fantasy overture)
o Serenade (for Nikolai Rubinstein's Name-Day) in D
o Serenade for Strings (or piano, 4 hands) in C, Op.48
o Srnade mlancolique in Bb-, Op.26
o Slavonic March (Marche Slave), Op.31
o The Storm (overture), Op.76
o The Tempest (fantasy overture), in F-, Op.18
o The Voyevoda (symphonic ballad) Op.78
o Valse-Scherzo, Op.34

# Piano Works
* Aveu passionn
* Chanson triste, Op.40, No.2
* Chant sans paroles (Song Without Words; also for violin), Op.2, No.3
* Children's Album: 24 Easy Pieces, Op.39
* Dumka in C-, Op.59
* Grand Sonata in G, Op.37
* Lullaby
* Meditation in D, Op.72, No.5
* 2 Morceaux (also for piano and violin), Op.10
* 12 Morceaux, difficult moyen, Op.40
* 6 Morceaux, Op.19
* 6 Morceaux, Op.51
* 18 Morceaux, Op.72
* 3 Morceaux, Op.9
* Romance in F-, Op.5
* Russian Dance in A-, Op.40, No.10
* 50 Russian Folk Songs
* Sonata in C#-, Op. post.80
* 3 Song Transcriptions, Op.16
* Song Without Words in A-, Op.40, No.6
* Souvenir de Hapsal, Op.2
* The Seasons, Op.37
* Valse sentimentale in F-, Op.51, No.6
* Waltz, Op.40, No.8

# Chamber Works

* Four Movements for String Quartet
* Nocturne, for cello (or violin) and small orchestra in D-, Op.19, No.4
* Piano Trio in A-, Op.50 ('In Memory of a Great Artist')
* 2 Pieces for Piano and Orchestra, Op. post. 79 (completed by Taneyev, also arr. for 2
pianos)
* Souvenir d'un lieu cher, for violin and piano, Op.42
* Souvenir de Florence, for string sextet or string orchestra in D, Op.70
* String Quartet in Bb
* String Quartet No.1 in D, Op.11
* String Quartet No.2 in F, Op.22
* String Quartet No.3 in Eb-, Op.30
* Valse sentimentale, for violin and piano in F-, Op.51, No.6

# Vocal Works
* Choral Works
o An Angel Cried Out
o 6 Church Songs
o Blessed is He who Smiles
o Blessed is He
o Let My Prayer Ascend
o Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op.41
o Mein Liebchen
o Moscow (coronation cantata), for mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra
o Nature and Love, for 2 sopranos, alto, female chorus, and piano
o Night
o Nightingale
o Not a word, O my Friend, Op.6, No.2
o 9 Sacred Pieces
o Sunrise (arr. Kozhevnikov)
o The Golden Cloud has Slept
o 'Tis Not the Cuckoo in the Damp Pinewood
o Vesper Service, Op.52
* Songs
o Blue Eyes of Spring
o 16 Children's Songs, Op.54
o Crying about Mahommed
o 6 Duets, Op.46
o 6 French Songs, Op.65
o I Should Like in a Single Word (Two Songs)
o Mezza notte ('Midnight')
o My Genius, my Angel, my Friend
o Oh no! Do Not Love Me for my Beauty
o 6 Romances, Op.16
o 6 Romances, Op.25
o 6 Romances, Op.27
o 6 Romances, Op.28
o 6 Romances, Op.38
o 7 Romances, Op.47
o 6 Romances, Op.57
o 12 Romances, Op.60
o 6 Romances, Op.63
o 6 Romances, Op.6
o 6 Romances, Op.73
o So Soon Forgotten
o Take My Heart Away
o We Have Not Far to Walk
o You Were in my Dream
o Zemfira's Song

* The Life and Works of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Naxos): Narration by Jeremy Siepmann