Symphony “Winter Dreams. Tchaikovsky

P.I. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 “Winter Dreams”

The calm Russian nature has inspired many musicians to create works of stunning beauty and picturesqueness. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is no exception. The symphony “Winter Dreams” is not only the first symphonic work in the composer’s work, but also the first lyrical and psychological composition in the history of Russian music. You can find out interesting facts, read about the history of creation, and listen to the work on this page.

History of creation and premiere

The composer began composing the work in the spring of 1866. Inspiration Tchaikovsky drew from memories of winter in hometown Votkinsk. After all, it is there that the most cheerful holiday festivities, the most beautiful scenery and kind people.

The composer recently graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory and was immediately hired as a teacher at the invitation of Nikolai Grigorievich Rubinstein. Works in educational institution there was a lot, and the class schedule was scheduled almost minute by minute. Tired of the daily routine, without the opportunity to do what he loved during the daytime, the composer was almost on the verge of a nervous breakdown. However, the musician’s condition did not affect the quality of the music in any way. On the contrary, immersion in memories put him in a creative mood; the composer could take a break from endless lectures. Already in September, the composer presented the finished version of the symphony. Much to Tchaikovsky's chagrin, the work was severely criticized and he was not given the right to perform it.

This was followed by days of reworking the work, which lasted until November. And for the second time the composer heard that the symphony was not completed and required correction. However, Nikolai Rubinstein noted that the second and third parts became much better and even included them in the concerts of the Russian Musical Society held in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The premiere went unnoticed and did not bring success to the young musician; only one unknown critic noted the extraordinary melody and excellent orchestration. Professional critics showed coldness and did not leave reviews.

The symphony was performed in its entirety at the beginning of February in 1868 at the eighth symphony meeting of the Russian Musical Society. Nikolai Grigorievich Rubinstein was at the conductor's stand. By the way, this edition of the work was destined to be performed only once. Since critics did not want to write about the young talent, the composition was quickly forgotten by listeners.

Time passed, but Tchaikovsky was haunted by the thought of why “Winter Dreams” was so coldly received by listeners. Having moved to Italy in 1874, he again took up revision. After revising the score, he corrected inaccuracies in the orchestration and added new clarifications regarding the performance. The work was done quickly enough, but the vulnerable Tchaikovsky was afraid that the music would again be left without due attention and postponed the performance for nine years.

The premiere took place in Moscow in 1883. Conductor M. Ermansdörfer did an excellent job with his task, and the music sounded completely new. Critics were delighted with what they heard. Three years later, the work was performed in St. Petersburg, the demanding audience positively accepted the symphony “Winter Dreams”.

Interesting facts

There are several author's editions of the work. The premiere was constantly put off because the professors could not appreciate all the beauty hidden in the work.
In the scherzo the composer used material from piano sonata, composed in 1865.
The composer's favorite season was winter.
The main theme from the second movement was later used in the music for spring fairy tale Ostrovsky "Snow Maiden".
Most important people in his work, Tchaikovsky considered his teachers Rubinstein and Zaremba. They always treated the young composer strictly and gave significant advice for improvement.
The second part is a musical impression of a trip to the island of Valaam, located on Lake Ladoga, so the music expresses the image of the endless Russian plains, demonstrating the austere beauty of the northern landscapes.
The composer's brother said that none of the compositions was as difficult or required as much effort as the First Symphony.
The latest edition was created in Italy. Looking at the work from a critical point of view, the musician was able to find obvious errors in the orchestration. After improvement, the composition was again performed on the big stage. Now it has received due critical acclaim.
The fourth part is based on the Russian folk song “Will I sow, young?” It is noteworthy that this song also has a second name, more common in urban life, namely “The Flowers Bloomed.”
In total, it took almost 8 years to compose the work.

The amazing warmth and sincerity of the music opens up the opportunity for the listener to experience the beauty of the moment. The figurative content is closely related to impressions of Russians winter landscapes. The symphony has an indirect program, since it is not based on literary work, and only two of the four parts have a name.

The structure of the cycle has a traditional classical form, consisting of four parts. It is worth noting that the dramatic line is practically not traced, which indicates the lyrical nature of the symphonic work.

First part It’s called “Dreams of a Winter Road,” which immediately sets the mood for slight melancholy. But the name is deceiving, because the music is filled with incredible live energy. This feature is emphasized by the rapid tempo of the Allegro. The key of G minor perfectly conveys the lyricism of the main theme. The main party consists of two elements: the first is calm, having a drawn-out spirit folk song, and the second, introducing a feeling of anxiety, which is achieved through the use of a large number of chromatic intonations.

Wonderful orchestration allows you to convey all the colorfulness of the winter landscape. The light background of the strings fully reflects the swaying of the frosty winter air and the unobtrusive ringing of Christmas bells. The cold timbres of wind instruments perfectly emphasize the beauty and elegance of the main theme.

The side part, as expected, is written in the key of the dominant. After a rather tense connecting game, calm and grace returns.

The final part has a pronounced folk dance character. A big contrast is the development, in which chromatic intervals dominate. The abbreviated reprise includes a large number of polyphonic devices to help lead to the climax. The coda takes the listener back to the roots. The first part opens up the multifaceted world of nature for the listener. The mood of the music changes as quickly as the direction of the wind.

Second part slow, written in Adagio tempo. The title “Gloomy Land, Foggy Land” corresponds to the imagery embedded in the music. The form is three-part with obvious features of a rondo. The music is mysterious and smooth. The spirit of Russian song lives in her. From the first bars the listener becomes involved in a foggy world in which everything is mysterious.

Third part scherzo, which is based on a waltz three-beat pattern. The key is C minor. The form is complex three-part. The lightness and whimsical nature of the theme is perfectly conveyed by solo instruments: flutes and clarinets. The middle part is completely at the mercy of the waltz, which becomes increasingly tense. The minor sound of the waltz is the culmination of the entire cycle. The scherzo ends on such a gloomy note.

Final- This is a solemn picture of a folk festival. The basis is a round dance song. Jubilation and joy permeate every beat, giving a feeling of mass unity. The scene of people's everyday life opens up new facets of reality for the listener. Polyphonic techniques help to properly reflect the multi-level and diversity of folk art.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Biography and brief overview creativity

Tchaikovsky's work is the pinnacle of world music XIX culture century - an ever-living and precious spring from which composers of the 20th and 21st centuries never cease to draw wisdom and inspiration.

The name of P. I. Tchaikovsky is dear to music lovers around the world. Several years ago, UNESCO conducted statistical studies and they showed that Tchaikovsky is the most performed composer in the world. His music is close and understandable to people different countries, nationalities, religions.

Very accurate about the significance of P.I.’s creativity. Tchaikovsky was said by the famous American conductor Leopold Stokowski: “Tchaikovsky and music are two inseparable concepts. As long as brilliant chords are heard on our planet, people will bow to his genius. I'm afraid I don't have enough words to fully appreciate his impact. He's everything to me."

The father of the future composer was a mining engineer who managed the Votkinsk factories. The mother was the daughter of a Russified Frenchman. The second son in the family, Pyotr Ilyich had two more sisters and four brothers.

The boy grew up in an atmosphere parental love. His upbringing was entrusted to the French governess Fanny Durbach.

What childhood experiences should be especially noted? Of course, the proximity of nature, the awakening of interest in music, folklore, poetry, learning to play the piano, which began about five years ago. Imagine if music sounds in everything: in the rustling of leaves, the chiming of the clock in the living room, in the poems of Pushkin and Shakespeare, if you can sit at the instrument and play from memory sometimes melodies heard only once, if your head is full of new melodies, if your whole life is in music, - Is it possible to leave it, force yourself to share other activities with music! And the boy tried.

From Votkinsk, at the age of ten, his mother took him to the St. Petersburg School of Law, which trained officials for the Department of Justice. Future lawyers received a good education, including music. Music increasingly filled his life. He began to sing in the choir of the law school - first as a treble and then as an alto; took music lessons from the Italian Piccioli; listened to operas and concerts with legal friends.

Tchaikovsky was greatly impressed by Mozart's opera Don Giovanni, performed by an Italian troupe in St. Petersburg. During his stay at the school in 1855-1858, Tchaikovsky studied with pianist Rudolf Kündinger. The teacher immediately noticed the student’s outstanding abilities. And then he took music lessons from Kündinger’s brother, August. He confides his most secret things to his sister: “Last year, as you know, I studied music theory a lot and now I am decisively convinced that sooner or later I will exchange my service for music.”

In the fall of 1859, Pyotr Ilyich entered the newly opened music classes at the Russian Musical Society. In 1862, these classes were transformed into the first conservatory in Russia, and Tchaikovsky became its student. His favorite teacher was. And the more tasks the teacher gave him, the more carefully Tchaikovsky completed everything assigned. Among his student works, the symphonic overture based on the plot of Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm” stands out.

For his final exam, he wrote a Cantata based on the text of Schiller's ode To Joy. It was successfully performed under the direction of his teacher A. Rubinstein.

In September 1866, a conservatory was opened in Moscow. Its creator invited Tchaikovsky to become one of its first professors. That's how it began independent life in a new career as a musician. Despite being very busy at the conservatory, Tchaikovsky writes a lot. His best works during this period must be called the fantasy overture “Romeo and Juliet” and the opera “The Voivode”.

One of the interesting events of his life is connected with the opera “The Voevoda” - his collaboration with the playwright Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky. They met in the Artistic Circle. The circle included the best Moscow intelligentsia. This brought Tchaikovsky closer to many prominent figures of Russian culture. The composer's life in Moscow was eventful.

And in the summer he went south - to Ukraine, to the Kamenka estate, in the Cherkassy region, where his sister lived, who married the son of the Decembrist Davydov. Kamenka had a special attractive force for him. After all, this estate was the place where forty years earlier the Decembrists, members of the " Southern Society" The owner of the Davydov estate often talked about it.

In Kamenka on the bosom beautiful nature, surrounded by people dear to his heart, Pyotr Ilyich always felt a rush creative forces. That’s why he created so many works here: piano cycle"Seasons", " Children's album", Nata Waltz, individual parts of the First, Second and Third Symphonies, parts of the operas "The Voevoda", "The Oprichnik".

At the end of the 60s, Tchaikovsky was already famous composer, whose works were successfully performed in Russia, and in the mid-70s the composer’s work reached an unprecedented peak. The frequency with which major works appear is striking. This was possible thanks to his very special attitude towards the work of composers.

He spoke about this this way: “My system of work is purely artisanal, that is, absolutely regular, always at the same hours, without any indulgence in myself. Musical thoughts arise in me as soon as I get to work, distracted from considerations and concerns alien to my work.” Thus, over the course of just two years, the following masterpieces were created: the opera “Eugene Onegin”, the Fourth Symphony, the ballet “Swan Lake”, the First Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra.

In 1877, Tchaikovsky experienced a severe crisis. The fact is that while he was working on the opera “Eugene Onegin,” the composer began to receive letters from one of the conservatory graduates. She seemed sincere in her feelings for him. In some way she reminded him of Pushkin’s Tatiana. Without hesitation, Pyotr Ilyich went towards this feeling. Soon the wedding took place. But a little time passed, and Tchaikovsky realized his mistake. This plunged him into despair. Having experienced this shock heavily, in the fall of 1877 he went abroad with severe nervous breakdown.

Fortunately, he found a friend who took on all the material expenses and gave the composer the opportunity to change his surroundings and be reborn for creativity. This friend turned out to be Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck. She was the widow of a major railroad magnate, heiress to a million-dollar fortune.

Passionately loving music, she spent considerable sums on helping musicians. Having become acquainted with Tchaikovsky's music, she became not only his fan, she was his “good genius”, material and psychological support. Their friendship lasted until 1890. But the most interesting thing is that they have never seen each other. But they confided their most secret thoughts to correspondence that lasted fourteen years. Pyotr Ilyich dedicated his Fourth Symphony, written in the difficult year of 1877, to Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck “To my best friend,” he wrote on title page. In a letter to Nadezhda Filaretovna, he formulated the main idea of this work: “If you do not find motives for joy in yourself, look at other people. Go among the people."

The next seven years of the composer’s life are often called the “years of wanderings”, these are trips abroad and a return to Moscow. And between them are new works: the operas “The Maid of Orleans” and “Mazeppa”, three orchestral suites, pieces for piano, a second piano concerto, the “1812” overture, and the cantata “Moscow”.

Shocked by the death of Nikolai Rubinstein, whom he loved and appreciated, Tchaikovsky dedicated the trio “In Memory of the Great Artist” to him.

1885 begins the last period of the composer's work. This year he was elected Director of the Moscow branch of the Russian musical society. He spends a lot of effort and energy on promoting the music of Russian composers. Tchaikovsky tours in Russian cities and abroad as a conductor. The maestro's concerts are a triumphant success.

Tchaikovsky was celebrated with great enthusiasm at musical evenings in Paris, in Prague. In 1893, in England, the University of Cambridge awarded him the title of Doctor of Laws, as the most brilliant composer peace.

In 1891, Pyotr Ilyich was invited to America. In New York, he had the honor of performing on the opening day of the new Carnegie Hall concert hall. The success of the performance exceeded all expectations. After his departure, one of the newspapers wrote: “...What a huge incentive would have been given musical art in our country, if only we could experience the beneficial influence of Tchaikovsky.”

Tchaikovsky combined such intense performing activity with composing. IN recent years he created true masterpieces. The heroes of his latest works are people who think subtly and deeply, feel, but do not find understanding in life. And therefore, striving for an unknown ideal, but suffering defeat in this endeavor. This idea underlies the composer’s last two symphonies, the opera “The Queen of Spades,” and many of his latest romances. At this time, he created the light romantic opera “Iolanta” based on a plot from a medieval legend and the same light ballets “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Nutcracker”.

The final page of Tchaikovsky’s work and life was his Sixth “ Pathetic Symphony" Fatally, the death of the hero and the death of the composer himself were intertwined in it and with it.

This symphony spoke in infinitely rich language about life and death, about fate, about the struggle from which a person emerges victorious. After all, goodness, beauty and creativity are immortal. This symphony sounded like a requiem, like the composer’s farewell to life, because the premiere of the symphony took place on October 16, 1893. A few days later Tchaikovsky fell ill. The disease turned out to be fatal. On the night of October 25-26, the composer passed away. He died in the prime of his life, full of hopes and creative ideas.

“The funeral was as grandiose and majestic as only tsars were buried in Russia,” recalled one of his contemporaries. A crowd of thousands accompanied the composer's coffin to the cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

“I would like my music to spread. So that every day the number of people who love her, who find consolation and support in her, increases,” said Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky many years ago.

And today, at the beginning of the 21st century, we can say with confidence that the composer’s dream has come true. His music is loved, it lives a full life in all countries of the world. Each of us finds in this music something close and understandable only to him. It brings true aesthetic pleasure.

Questions to consolidate the material:

Where did Pyotr Ilyich receive his education?
Who was his friend during his student years?
In what year did Tchaikovsky start studying at the conservatory? What works did he write at this time?
Where did the composer work after graduating from the conservatory?
Name the works written in Kamenka.
Who is N.F. von Meck? How is she related to Tchaikovsky? What work did the composer dedicated to her?
List the works of the mid-70s.
Tell us about last period composer's life.
What works were written at this time?

Symphony No. 1 in G minor “Winter Dreams”

The first symphony was composed by Tchaikovsky in the spring and summer of 1866. The music of this composition embodies the composer’s impressions of Russian nature, which he loved very much, and his childhood memories of winter road from distant Votkinsk to St. Petersburg, where his parents took him to study, pictures of cheerful folk festivals.

Working on the symphony was difficult. Pyotr Ilyich had already begun work as a professor, and classes with students took up almost all of the daytime. Therefore, there was only night left for music. And yet, by September, the composer finished the symphony and submitted it to the judgment of his teachers - professors of the St. Petersburg Conservatory A. Rubinstein and N. Zaremba. The symphony was severely criticized. They refused to include it in the concert programs of the Russian Musical Society.

The second edition of the symphony also did not receive approval. Tchaikovsky only managed to achieve the execution of the two middle movements, but it went almost unnoticed.

The symphony was performed in its entirety only in February 1868 in Moscow. But this performance turned out to be the only one. After a trip to Italy in 1874, Pyotr Ilyich again returned to this work and made another edition of it. And only in 1883 was it truly appreciated. One of the reviewers wrote: “This is a real Russian symphony. In every bar of it you feel that only a Russian could have written it. The composer puts purely into the form developed in a foreign land Russian content" Indeed, this was in fact the first Russian symphony, which at the same time was the first example of lyrical symphonism.

P.I. Tchaikovsky gave the symphony and its first two movements titles.

The first part is called “Dreams on the Winter Road”. It begins barely audible - as if dry snow rustled from the wind, the frosty air rang. A moment... and a sad melody appeared. It creates the impression of wide-open space, desert, and loneliness. She is echoed by the sharp short sounds: like snowflakes hitting your face.

There is something restless and alarming in the music. The sonority increases. More and more new instruments are coming in. The melody is fragmented. As if caught by the wind, its fragments curl and fly one after another. And now a powerful theme began to sound loudly, growing out of the theme of thorny snowflakes. The first sad theme flowed into it and also became powerful, as if it had drawn strength from a wonderful spring. But then everything fell silent. A few dry chords, and then the clarinet began to sing. His song - a side part - is thoughtful and calm.

This song was picked up by other instruments, taken further, and sung wider. And again silence. The final section of the exhibition, festive, solemn, is being developed.

Its development is full of drama and leads to a climax. And again - a general pause. After it, carefully, timidly, as if swaying, various instruments begin to enter.

And finally, a sad melody poured out - main topic first part. This is the beginning of the reprise. At the end of the part, the initial image is returned. And only as an echo, a reminder, a prickly motif appears. Gradually it fades away. This is how the first part ends.

The second part is called "Gloomy land, foggy land." It embodied the composer’s impressions from a trip along Lake Ladoga to the island of Valaam and a trip to the Imatra Falls in the summer of 1860. The music of this part is surprisingly melodious, broad and close to Russian folk song. The oboe sings a loose melody, similar to a drawn-out peasant song.

She is accompanied by flutes, like a light breeze blowing through the ripples of the lake. Then the bassoon enters with its melody. And now two voices - a high boyish one and a male one - each sing their own song, merging in agreement. Voices whimsically intertwine. Their powerful choir picks up the song and carries it on. And then a mighty folk song soars up. The story is finished.

The third movement of the symphony has no subtitle. But the content of the scherzo is clear even without this. Listening to this music, you immediately remember Pushkin:

The clouds are rushing, the clouds are swirling;
Invisible moon
The flying snow illuminates;
The sky is cloudy, the night is cloudy.
I'm driving, driving in an open field;
Bell ding-ding-ding...
Scary, scary involuntarily
Among the invisible plains.

But a light flashed in the distance. And the tired traveler in his snow-covered caravan enters a hospitable estate. The windows are brightly lit. A gentle waltz sounds. This is the middle section of the scherzo. But the howl of a blizzard begins to break through the melody of this waltz. It's getting louder. And now you can no longer hear the graceful waltz, only the wind sweeps and hits you in the face with prickly snow.

What was it? Vision? Dream? There is an endless winter road ahead...

The finale is a vivid picture of folk mass holiday. The melody of the folk song “The Flowers Bloomed” plays a big role in it. Its intonation forms the basis of the introduction. This is a prologue, a reflection. In its full form, this folk song will appear as a dance song in the side part of the finale.

The main party is active. It sounds fervently, in the rhythm of a fast march, with sharp exclamations. This is an image of a jubilant, merry people. This symphony ends brightly and festively. Its finale became the prototype of a number of similar finales of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies.

Questions:

How many symphonies did Tchaikovsky write? What other symphonic works Do you know the composer?
What role does programming play in Tchaikovsky's works? How did the composer understand it?
What is the content of the composer's symphonic works?
In what year was the First Symphony written? What is her fate?
List the names and contents of the parts of the symphony.
Explain why the symphony was called “Winter Dreams”.

Presentation

Included:
1. Presentation - 22 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Tchaikovsky. Symphony No. 1:
Part I, Allegro “Dreams on a Winter Road”, mp3;
Part II, Adagio “Gloomy land, foggy land”, mp3;
III movement, Scherzo, mp3;
Part IV, Finale, mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.

Symphony No. 1 was created by the composer shortly after graduating from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, marking the beginning of a new stage in the composer’s life and work, completing the period of formation. Having begun work on the symphony in May 1866, Pyotr Ilyich completed it by November. First experience in symphonic genre It was difficult for him - work at the Moscow Conservatory took up a lot of time, leaving only night time for composing music, which led the composer to nervous exhaustion.

Symphony No. 1 is a program symphony - he gave it the name “Winter Dreams”, the first and second parts are also provided with headings. This work reflected the composer’s love for Russian nature, childhood memories of a winter trip from Votkinsk to St. Petersburg. At the same time, we cannot talk about a specific “sound recording” - it is rather a transfer of the composer’s impressions.

In Symphony No. 1 “Winter Dreams” such characteristic features style, as close to Russian song folklore and symphonic thinking. The themes are permeated with folk song intonations, but in the finale the composer uses genuine folk melody, which does not become something foreign in the symphony thanks to the features of Russian songwriting present in other themes. At the same time, the themes lack the “roundness” of song melodies and require further development.

The first part – Allegro tranquillo – is called “Dreams on the Winter Road”. Its main parts – the sad, “dull” one, like a winter day, the main one, and the lyrically bright side – are not conflicting with each other, therefore there are no special dramatic moments in the development - everything remains within the confines of the lyrical symphony. Quite a lot interesting moments in an orchestral presentation - for example, the main part at its first appearance is carried out by the flute and bassoon in two octaves, creating the impression of endless space.

The author gave the title of the second part – Adagio cantabile ma non tanto – “Gloomy land, foggy land”. Its figurative content is associated with memories of a trip to the island of Valaam in 1860. The themes of this part are also sustained in the elements of Russian songwriting, while the form combines the features of ronda-like and variant-strophic development. One of the themes was borrowed from the “Thunderstorm” overture, created in his youth, and he later used it in the music for the fairy tale “The Snow Maiden”.

The third movement is Allegro scherzando giocoso and the finale is Andante lugubre. Allegro maestoso - have no program names. In the third movement, he again uses material from a previously created work - a piano sonata in C sharp minor, and in the finale he quotes the Russian folk song “Will I Sow, Young One,” also known as “The Flowers Are Blooming.” This theme, presented either in a minor or a major version, takes on the character of a daring dance.

The fate of the work turned out to be difficult - the composer’s conservatory mentors N. Rubinstein and N. Zaremba did not approve of it, it was performed only in 1868 and forgotten for several years. Only after the performance of a revised version of the symphony in 1874 did it receive true recognition.

Musical Seasons

General characteristics of symphonic creativity

P. I. Tchaikovsky created a lot of symphonic music - about forty works in different genres. These are six symphonies plus one more - without a number, but with a title - “Manfred” (actually seven), twelve overtures and fantasies, four suites (the fourth is the famous “Mozartiana”). The genre of siphonic music includes three of his piano concertos and one violin concerto, Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra. It is no coincidence that these last listed works are mandatory for all International competitions named after P.I. Tchaikovsky. And even outside of competitions, they often sound on all concert stages around the world, making up the central numbers of any symphony programs.

The very content of Tchaikovsky’s symphonic work is just as multifaceted. Here are the sketches folk life, and the poetic embodiment of images of nature, and festive and solemn music “for the occasion”. Tchaikovsky, having gained enormous experience in the symphonic genre, admitted: “In a symphony or sonata I am free, there are no restrictions for me... Despite all the temptation of opera, I write a symphony or sonata and quartet with infinitely greater pleasure and pleasure.” (The sonata and quartet, although the works are smaller in scale than the symphony, are closer to the symphony genre than other musical genres).

The main content of P. Tchaikovsky's symphonic music, if we try to characterize it as a whole, is the disclosure peace of mind man, in his complex and sometimes dramatic relationships with the surrounding life. In this sense, Tchaikovsky's symphonies are comparable to his operas, although the musical forms of these genres are completely different. The predominant mood of Tchaikovsky's music in general and smiphonic music in particular is lyrical outpouring. However, this does not mean that this music always remains only in this key - in his best works Tchaikovsky touches on deep philosophical problems human existence. In each of his symphonies we are faced with an acute conflict dramaturgy, we are deeply involved in the clashes and continuous development of opposing, and sometimes antagonistic, forces. And if you look for some parallels to this in world music (however, it is not a fact that such searches and comparisons with other creations are so necessary), then the first thing that comes to mind is the symphonic work of Beethoven. Another parallel to Tchaikovsky's symphonic style can be the work of J. Brahms. TO general features Their creativity includes the presence of a lyrical core characteristic of the “romantic” century in their work. The evolution of the symphonies of both composers has a common direction towards strengthening the tragic principle. An interesting coincidence can be seen in the fact that both composers wrote in 1878 a violin concerto in the same key - D major. At the same time, as often happens, similar - of course, not in everything - individuals do not recognize each other and deny this similarity. Tchaikovsky did not like or accept Brahms' music. After a significant historical period the comparison of their work seems more reasonable. And it is probably no coincidence that the activities of the Russian national orchestra conducted by M. Pletnev, began with a program that included Brahms’s First Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s “Manfred.”

If you mentally imagine a list, for example, of one hundred great symphonic works of world music, then all the symphonies of P. Tchaikovsky must certainly be included in it.

Symphony No. 1 in G minor “Winter Dreams”, Op. 13

History of creation

The first symphony “Winter Dreams” was the first work written by the composer after moving to Moscow. It was created in the spring and summer of 1866. It marks the end of the period of apprenticeship and indicates the beginning of truly artistic creativity.

The beginning of a new path was difficult for Tchaikovsky. The composer’s brother, Modest Tchaikovsky, his faithful friend and assistant throughout the composer’s life, librettist of his operas, writes: “Not a single work was given to him at the cost of such effort and suffering.”

The sketches for the symphony were mostly ready in May 1866. From the composer's correspondence with his loved ones, we know well the chronology of the work on the symphony (as, indeed, on other works). So, in one of his June letters, Tchaikovsky reports that he began orchestrating the symphony. But in the summer, Tchaikovsky, according to the testimony of the same Modest, became more gloomy and took walks alone more often than before. The reason for the young composer's gloom was the symphony, which, as it seemed to him, was not given to him. He worked not only during the day, but also at night, as a result of which his nervous system was completely upset. The composer completed the score only in November, while still in Moscow. But before returning to Moscow, the composer decided to show the unfinished work in St. Petersburg to Anton Rubinstein and N. Zaremba. The strict judges did not like the symphony. This attitude offended the young composer. Nevertheless, upon his arrival in Moscow, he made changes to the score. Tchaikovsky again showed the second edition of the symphony to the same judges - and again their negative judgment! But Nikolai Rubinstein liked the symphony, and soon he performed the Scherzo from the symphony at one of the concerts of the Russian Musical Society. Then, in St. Petersburg, the Adagio and Scherzo were performed under his own direction. The entire symphony was first performed under the baton of N. Rubinstein on February 6, 1867 in Moscow. It was to Nikolai Rubinstein that Tchaikovsky dedicated the symphony. The Moscow public warmly accepted the symphony. But being very self-critical, Tchaikovsky himself was dissatisfied with a number of aspects in the work. It was necessary to make a third edition. But he was able to fulfill this intention only in 1874. In this third edition and in a four-hand version for piano, the symphony was finally published by Jurgenson, an enthusiastic admirer of the composer, in 1875. It is in this edition that the symphony is now performed and is known throughout the world.

Musical content

bears the title “Dreams on a Winter Road.” This part is one of the composer's best works. This is an image of a winter road and the lyrical thoughts, experiences, memories, and moods associated with it. In one of his letters to N. F. Von Meck, Tchaikovsky wrote about one painting he saw: “... it attracted my special attention, because this is like an illustration for the first part of my First Symphony. This picture depicts a high road in winter. She’s good!” The symphony begins with the barely audible sound of violins (this technique is called tremolo - from Italian. tremolo– trembling; its peculiarity is the rapid alternation of two of the same sounds); in this case, it resembles a peculiar rustling of dry snow from the wind, ringing frosty air. The melody that appears against this background is assigned to the flute and bassoon. Their sound creates a real idea of the breadth of space, since both instruments play in unison (that is, the same melody), but at a distance of two octaves. This melody, to put it musically correctly, is called the main part. Then other games will follow - the connecting game (its name is clear), the side game, and the final game. The main and secondary are called so not because one is more important and the other is secondary, but only because the main is always performed in the main - main - key of the work, and the secondary - in some other - secondary tonality. The melody of the woodwinds has fallen silent, and now the strings—violas, then cellos—enter with the same theme. Gradually, more and more new instruments join the sound. The melody is fragmented, as if caught by the wind, its fragments fly one after another. And now, a powerful theme sounds at the top of its voice. A few dry chords, and the clarinet enters against the backdrop of the pattering sounds of the strings. His song, thoughtful and calm, is a side part. It flows freely, like an endlessly unfolding ribbon. The section in which topics are presented for the first time is called exposition. Its final section is festive, solemn, with jubilant fanfares. This excitement leads to the development, the middle section of the first movement. It is dominated by excited rapid movement, active roll calls of voices, a collision of various themes of the exhibition, full of drama and leading to a climax. After a general pause, that is, a pause for the entire orchestra, the bass voices begin to sound cautiously and timidly. The soft sound of the horn is layered over them, then the woodwinds enter, and finally the sad melody pours out - the main theme of the first movement. Thus began the third and final section of the first part, called the reprise. The entire first part ends with a code built on the development of one of the elements main party, which this time sounds in combination with a side note. The quietest sound is set, like an echo, a reminder. It descends into the lower register and gradually dissolves into the rustling tremolo of the violins.

– Adagio cantabile – called by Tchaikovsky “Gloomy land, foggy land.” This music was created by the composer as a result of his trip along Lake Ladoga to the island of Valaam and a trip to the Imatra Falls in the summer of 1860. As in the first part of the symphony, the image of nature here merges with a lyrical mood, calm and thoughtful. Although the reason for writing this part was visual impressions, the music is devoid of sound imagery. The orchestral texture, light and transparent, creates the impression of air and spaciousness. It is noteworthy that for this part the composer used a theme from his youthful overture “The Thunderstorm”. By the way, this theme was later used by Tchaikovsky again - in the music for A. Ostrovsky’s spring fairy tale “The Snow Maiden”. At first it is a quiet, gentle oboe theme. She is accompanied, one might even say, surrounded by the music of flutes like pipes. They are accompanied by a bassoon. Soon the second theme of the part appears. She sounds more excited. As the development progresses, each new appearance of the first theme sounds more and more emotionally intense. The culmination of development is an episode in which the theme is simultaneously heard by oboes, clarinets, and horns. After this, a decline in sonority occurs. The theme of introduction returns.

- Scherzo. It is noteworthy that here, too, Tchaikovsky used previously written music, borrowing it from his piano sonata in C sharp minor. The nature of the music in this part of the symphony is in tune with the mood of the previous part. The scherzo begins with a short introduction, after which the violins introduce the main theme in a sharp, whimsical rhythm. In the sound, thanks to some features of the musical mode, features of folk song are discernible. The middle section of the Scherzo is traditional for this form of trio in classical music. It sounds like a lyrical waltz. Involuntarily, the idea of home comfort, warmth, and playing music in the living room arises in your thoughts. Tchaikovsky loved this poetic and dreamy state of mind. The picture of the old estate is clearly drawn, the soft light in the windows, the flickering shadows of the inhabitants of this cozy home.

- Final. This time it is a vivid picture of street folk life. The contrast with the previous parts is very bright, but not dramatic. If in the two previous movements Tchaikovsky borrowed musical material from his earlier works, here he used - as many composers did - the melody of the folk song “Will I sow, young”; in urban life this song was known as “The Flowers Bloomed.” The composer originalized this well-known motif: in the Finale it appears in both major and minor “refraction”. And every time it brings musical and emotional diversity. At some point, the song takes on a sweeping, even, one might say, rude character in the spirit of the rollicking “Zamoskoretsk” dance. The entire symphony ends with joyful, bell-festive music.

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, piccolo flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion group, strings.

History of creation

The first symphony was composed by Tchaikovsky in the spring and summer of 1866. The music of this composition reflected the composer’s impressions of Russian nature, which he loved very much; childhood memories of the winter road from the distant Ural town of Votkinsk to St. Petersburg, where his parents took him to study; pictures of cheerful Maslenitsa festivities.

Composing the symphony was difficult. Having graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory in the spring, Tchaikovsky was immediately invited by Nikolai Rubinstein, the founder of the Moscow Conservatory, to be one of its professors. There were a lot of classes with students, they took up almost all of the daytime, so that only the night was left for writing. The composer did not like to work at night, and his fragile health did not allow him to do so. Acute overwork soon led to a nervous breakdown. However, in September Tchaikovsky still finished the symphony and gave it to his friends for judgment. former teachers- professors of the St. Petersburg Conservatory A. Rubinstein and N. Zaremba. They severely criticized the first symphonic opus of their graduate and refused to include it in the concert programs of the Russian Musical Society, which Tchaikovsky had hoped for.

Returning from St. Petersburg, the composer began to rework the symphony. The second revision was completed in November, but also did not receive approval. The premiere was postponed indefinitely. Tchaikovsky only managed to organize the performance of the two middle movements in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but it went almost unnoticed. Only one remaining unknown critic (he signed with the initials A.D., which the researchers were unable to decipher - apparently he was not a musician, but an enlightened amateur) wrote: “We do not know what to attribute this coldness to (with which the performed excerpts were received .- L.M.), because the symphony has undoubted merits. She's in highest degree melodic and excellently instrumented: we especially liked the adagio: it is all composed of one theme, of a purely Russian character, in which one can hear the motive of a Russian song that captures the soul. Despite this, the theme is completely original." The review is surprisingly sensitive, despite the admitted inaccuracy - there are two themes in the adagio, although closely related in nature - it remains the only one. The music shown did not attract professionals.

The premiere of the symphony in its entirety took place only on February 3 (15), 1868 in Moscow, at the eighth symphony meeting of the Russian Medical Society under the direction of N. G. Rubinstein. But this performance turned out to be the only one. Criticism also did not consider it necessary to respond to it. The symphony was no longer performed; it seemed to have been forgotten.

A few years later, after a trip to Italy in 1874, the composer revised the symphony again: he shortened some lengths and changed the orchestration. In this final version, the symphony was published and performed nine years later - in 1883 in Moscow under the baton of M. Ermansderfer, a German conductor who worked in Moscow in the 80s. Only then was she finally appreciated. “This is a real Russian symphony,” wrote the reviewer. - In every bar of it you feel that only a Russian could have written it. The composer puts purely Russian content into the form developed in a foreign land.” But another three years passed when the first symphonic experience of the long-famous composer was performed in St. Petersburg. Since then, it has firmly established itself in the concert repertoire.

Turning out to be, in essence, the first Russian symphony (Rimsky-Korsakov's symphony, written somewhat earlier, was not successful and was practically forgotten), it was, at the same time, the first example of lyrical symphonism. The symphony is programmatic. Tchaikovsky gave it the title and subtitles of the first two movements. The scherzo, which has no such “clue”, uses material from a piano sonata written in 1865.

Music

First part bears the title “Dreams on the Winter Road”. It begins with a barely audible tremolo of violins - as if dry snow rustled from the wind, the frosty air rang. A moment... and a sad melody appeared, intoned by a flute and bassoon. Due to the large distance between the voices of these instruments, the impression of wide open spaces, desert, and loneliness is created. The melody of the woodwinds fell silent, and the violas joined in, then the cellos. And at this time the wind instruments make sharp, short sounds: like snowflakes hitting your face. There is something restless and alarming about them. The sonority increases. More and more new instruments are coming in. The melody is fragmented. As if caught by the wind, its fragments curl and fly one after another. And now a powerful theme began to sound at the top of its voice, growing out of the theme of thorny snowflakes. Prowess and youthful scope can be heard in her. The initial, previously sad melody flowed into her and also became powerful, confident, as if she had drawn strength from a wonderful spring. Everything fell silent. A few dry chords, and against the backdrop of meager, drawn-out notes from the string instruments, the clarinet began to sing. His song - a secondary theme - is thoughtful and calm. It flows freely, like an endlessly unfolding ribbon. The clarinet fell silent, but the song did not stop: other instruments picked it up, took it further, and sang it even wider. And again silence. The final section of the exhibition - festive, solemn, with jubilant fanfare - directly feeds into the development. It contains excited rapid movement, active roll calls of voices, a clash of various themes of the exposition, full of drama and leading to a climax. And again, for the third time - a general pause. Carefully, timidly, as if not always in time, the bass voices “sway.” The soft sound of the horn is layered over them, then the woodwinds enter, and finally a sad melody pours out - the main theme of the first movement. This is the beginning of the reprise.

Second part The symphony is called “Gloomy Land, Foggy Land”. It was created under the impression of a trip along Lake Ladoga to the island of Valaam and a trip to the Imatra Falls in the summer of 1860. Slow, concentrated string entry. The oboe began to sing a loose melody, reminiscent of drawn-out peasant songs. Fast passages of the flute are like a light breeze, like ripples running across lake waves. The bassoon enters with its melody, and now it’s as if two voices - a high boyish one and the accompanying male one - each lead their own song, merging in agreement. Altos and flutes sang warmly and soulfully. Their melody seemed to flow out of the first: it is just as wide and free. The violins pick it up and take it somewhere far away, up into the air, where it does not stop, but seems to fade away, continuing to sound inaccessible to human hearing. And from below, near the cellos, the first song appears again. Different instruments come into play with individual fragments of the theme. The voices whimsically intertwine until the “soloists” sing the second theme - the clarinet and warm, rich-sounding violins. A powerful choir of orchestral voices picks up the song, leads it further... An instant stop, a trembling of uncertainty, perhaps anxiety, and again a mighty folk song soars up. The story is finished. The strings conclude the movement with a restrained afterword.

Third part The symphony does not have a subtitle, but its content is obvious even without it. The scherzo opens with light trills from the clarinets and flutes. And immediately the violins rustled in a whimsical rhythm, like snow flakes caught in a blizzard. The whimsical, but folk-like melody was picked up by the woodwinds, and soon everything was spinning in a blizzard round dance. Pushkin comes to mind:

It seems that this is how the program for this section can be deciphered. But a light flashed in the distance. Another, third, and tired traveler drives into a hospitable estate in his snow-covered caravan. The windows are brightly lit, a charming, gentle waltz sounds. This is the middle section of the scherzo. The melody of the waltz is elegant, slightly melancholic, but there are also courageous notes in it. The howl of a blizzard gradually begins to break through its melody. It gets louder and louder, and now you can no longer hear the waltz, only the wind sweeps and hits you in the face with prickly snow. What was it? Vision? Dream? There is an endless winter road ahead...

Final. Slow, gloomy sounds crept from somewhere below - and they stopped in indecision. Once again the concentrated melody sounded and was interrupted again. The third time it began higher, in lighter timbres of flutes, oboes, and clarinets, and, as if gaining new strength, finally poured out completely in the rich low register of the violins. This is the prologue. Meditation. The melody began to sound again - this time in a fast, energetic movement, not in a minor key, as before, but in a major key - light, confident. This is the folk song “Will I Sow Young,” an urban version of the old peasant song “The Flowers Are Blooming.” In a few bars there was a rapid rise from a stern prologue to exuberant, jubilant joy. The main theme of the finale sounds provocative with its mass character, fast march rhythm, and sharp exclamations. This is an image of a merry, jubilant people. The song “Will I Sow Young” appears again, now in the character and movement of a dance song. Mass paintings - a kind of general plan of action - are replaced from time to time by small genre sketches. The orchestra's sound becomes more transparent, the melodic lines become shorter, whimsically intertwined in a polyphonic presentation. And the wild fair fun bursts in again. Suddenly there comes a moment of concentration, reflection. Prologue music is heard. Then, slowly, as if rocking, a long gradual build-up begins, leading to a powerful, jubilant conclusion.

L. Mikheeva

The first symphony, written in 1866 by a young composer who had just graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, acquired its final form only eight years later. The title “Winter Dreams” given by the author indicates the circle of images that flashed before his creative imagination when composing the symphony: these are pictures of winter Russian nature and genre scenes that arise against their background. Individual moments of music can evoke vivid specific associations in the listener (for example, the smooth tremulous movement of the violins in the first movement - “Dreams on a winter road”, associated with the idea of a long leisurely sleigh ride, mysterious forest rustles and calls in the second movement - “Gloomy land, foggy land”, etc.), but these meager touches and hints do not add up to a complete, consistently developing poetic program. The composer does not strive for a specific “painting in sounds”, but conveys only his impressions, refracted through the prism of personal lyrical feeling. He freely leads us from one image or mood to another, sometimes completely different in character, following the internal logic of symphonic development. It has been repeatedly pointed out that the symphony’s figurative structure is close to the poetic images of the Russian winter in the works of Pushkin, L. Tolstoy, Pleshcheev and other remarkable masters Russian literature. The intonation structure of her music is also deeply national: most of the themes in “Winter Dreams” are of a song nature and, to one degree or another, are close to Russian folk melodic music. Therefore, when a genuine folk song appears in the finale, it does not seem like something alien, but naturally flows into the general flow of the music.

At the same time, the symphonic nature of Tchaikovsky’s thinking is clearly expressed already in the structure of the main themes. Particularly indicative from this point of view is the theme of the main party first part. With the easily perceptible proximity of its individual melodic turns to folk song, the theme is devoid of song roundness: the principle of progressive fragmentation (4 bars + 2 + 1 + 1) gives it an open character

and evokes a feeling of incompleteness that urgently requires continuation and development. In the second sentence, the theme, given in a different timbre design (violas instead of flute and bassoon), is accompanied by a sharp “spiky” figure on the flute,

which subsequently acquires great value as a dynamizing factor. Permeating all subsequent development, it reaches a powerful triumphant sound just before the introduction of the side part.

Both elements are widely developed already within the limits of the exposure, as a result of which the main batch “absorbs” the binder, built on the same material, forming one large section with a wave-like unfolding growth. Later, such a “swelling” of the main part would become characteristic of the most dramatic symphonies of the mature Tchaikovsky.

The song side part, contrasting with its bright lyrical character to the dull “winter” coloring of the main one, is a relatively independent episode. The fanfare final part, reminiscent of either the sounds of a calling hunting horn, or some kind of heavy, powerful dance, immediately goes into development. Unlike Tchaikovsky's later symphonic works, which become the center of dramatic conflict, no special "events" occur in it. After the reprise, which reproduces in an abbreviated form (and with corresponding tonal shifts) the structure of the exposition, a fairly extensive coda is given, in which the main elements of the main part are further developed.

Second part symphonies - “Gloomy land, foggy land” (One can assume that it reflected the impressions of the harsh beauty of the Russian north that Tchaikovsky remembered after his trip to Lake Ladoga.)- is notable for the extraordinary breadth of melodic breathing, which does not weaken throughout its rather long sound. Some researchers define the shape of this part as rondo-shaped, others as variant-strophic. Its peculiarity is that two episodes are built on a melodic turn, isolated from the main theme, and are only its free modification. This smoothly unfolding theme, gradually gaining breath, lasting twenty bars, belongs to the most beautiful examples of Tchaikovsky’s lyrical-song melodicism. Separate turns, as if inlaid into the melodic line folk character highlight her typically Russian appearance.

In subsequent works, the theme acquires a new color each time, reaching a pathetic sound in the final section of the solo horn. It is impossible not to mention the poetic introduction to this part, immersing the listener in the melancholy gloomy atmosphere of the North Russian landscape. (This introduction uses material from a side part from the overture “The Thunderstorm” (based on Ostrovsky’s drama), written by Tchaikovsky during his conservatory years. But the texture and instrumentation are different (there - flute and oboe with counterpoint of violins in a high register and sonorous chords of the harp, here - only strings, densely located in the middle matte register) significantly change the expressive color of the music.)

The last two movements of the symphony do not have special program titles, but their music has no less vivid imagery. Scherzo (The material for the outer sections of the scherzo was the scherzo from the piano sonata in C sharp minor, which was not published during the composer’s lifetime.), painted with a slight touch of melancholy, is something like a fantastic dance of snowflakes. The “interrupting” rhythm of double bars gives it a peculiar sharpness. The middle section of the scherzo - a smooth lyrical waltz - introduces us to the sphere of a winter interior filled with homely comfort (remember that in the cycle "Seasons" the play "December. Christmastide" is also written in the form of a waltz).

Solemn festive final became the prototype of Tchaikovsky's later symphonic finales, which marked the exit from the closed sphere of personal experiences, painful mental struggles and rushing out into the world of bright joy and fun. This finale differs from the soft, transparent in color of the previous parts of the symphony in its massiveness and heaviness of sound. The composer paints a picture folk festival bright, sometimes garish colors: here for the first time the full cast enters big orchestra with “heavy” brass (three trombones, tuba) and a whole group of drums; The writing style is broad, somewhat lapidary. The sharpness of the contrast is softened to a certain extent by the large introductory section (64 bars), the beginning of which is painted in gloomy tones, and only gradually, when approaching the main section, the color of the music becomes increasingly lighter and clearer. In the introduction, for the first time, the melody of the round dance song “Will I Sow the Young” sounds, which then becomes the basis of the side part, contrasting with its smooth melodiousness to the bold, sweeping theme of the main part. It is interesting that Tchaikovsky gives this song melody in a minor key, as opposed to the well-known major version. Only in the coda of the finale is it once carried out in a jubilant major sound and in a rhythmic increase, giving it a solemn, epically majestic character.

Tchaikovsky did not succeed in everything in this uniquely conceived finale. Its most vulnerable part is a somewhat formal development, beginning with a small fugato on material from a side batch, followed by an expanded fugue, which is based on short motive, isolated from the theme of the main party.

Despite traces of a certain immaturity, Tchaikovsky's First Symphony, captivating with its lyrical spontaneity and poetic music, already allows us to see in its author a future brilliant symphonist-playwright. And in the construction of thematic material, and in handling it, its development, transformation and germination of new formations from a few initial elements, true symphony is manifested musical thinking composer.