Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Editorial Conventions
- Bartók: Piano Concerto No.1
- Bartók: Violin Concerto No.2
- Bartók: Dance Suite
- Beethoven Symphonies: Some Supplementary Remarks
- Beethoven: Overture Leonore No.2
- Beethoven: Overture Leonore No.3
- Beethoven: Overture King Stephen
- Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
- Berlioz: Harold in Italy
- Berlioz: Overtures
- Bloch Schelomo: Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra
- Brahms: Four Symphonies
- Brahms: Piano Concerto No.1 in D Minor, Op.15
- Brahms: Violin Concerto in D, Op.77
- Brahms: Hungarian Dances: A Brief Guide
- Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G Minor, Op.26
- Busoni: Piano Concerto, Op.39
- Debussy: Prélude À L’Après-Midi D’un Faune
- Dvořák: Scherzo Capriccioso, Op.66
- Dvořák: Symphonic Variations, Op.78
- Dvořák: Romance for Violin and Orchestra, Op.11
- Dvořák: Serenade for Strings in E, Op.22
- Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme (‘Enigma’), Op.36
- Elgar: Concert-Overture Froissart
- Elgar: Concert-Overture Cockaigne
- Elgar: Concert-Overture in the South (Alassio)
- Elgar: Sea Pictures
- Elgar: Serenade for Strings in E Minor, Op.20
- Fauré: Fantaisie for Flute, Orch. Louis Aubert
- Franck: Symphony in D Minor
- Haydn: Symphonies with High Horns
- Haydn: Symphony No.100 in G (‘Military’)
- Haydn: Symphony No.104 in D (‘London’)
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No.1 in E Flat
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No.2 in A
- Mahler: Symphony No.2 in C Minor
- Martinù: Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
- Mendelssohn: Symphony No.3 in a Minor, Op.56 (‘Scottish’)
- Mendelssohn: Symphony No.4 in a, Op.90 (‘Italian’)
- Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op.64
- Mendelssohn: Overture The Hebrides (‘Fingal’s Cave’), Op.26
- Mozart: Piano Concertos
- Mussorgsky, Orch. Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition
- Nielsen: Sinfonia Espansiva (Symphony No.3)
- Prokofiev: Classical Symphony (Symphony No.1, Op.25)
- Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf, Op.67
- Rachmaninov: Symphony No.2 in E Minor, Op.27
- Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor, Op.18
- Ravel: Piano Concerto
- Ravel: La Valse
- Ravel: Le Tombeau De Couperin
- Ravel: Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte
- Respighi: Fontane Di Roma
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphonic Suite: Scheherazade, Op.35
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol, Op.34
- Rossini: Overture William Tell
- Saint-Saëns: Symphony No.3 in C Minor, Op.78
- Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No.1 in a Minor, Op.33
- Schubert: Overture Die Zauberharfe, D.644 (‘Rosamunde’)
- Schumann: Symphony No.4 in D Minor, Op.120
- Schumann Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op.52
- Schumann: Cello Concerto in a Minor, Op.129
- Schumann: Overture Genoveva, Op.81
- Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No.1 in E Flat, Op.107
- Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43
- Sibelius: Symphony No.3 in C, Op.52
- Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in a Minor, Op.63
- Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E Flat, Op.82
- Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D Minor, Op.104
- Sibelius: Symphony No.7 in C, Op.105
- Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op.47
- Sibelius: Tapiola, Op.112
- Smetana: Má Vlast: 2. Vltava
- Smetana: Má Vlast: 3. Šárka
- Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op.40
- Strauss: Horn Concerto No.1 in E Flat, Op.11
- Strauss: Oboe Concerto
- Strauss: Metamorphosen: Study for 23 Solo Strings
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.2 in C Minor, Op.17
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.3 in D, Op.29
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.4 in F Minor, Op.36
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 in E Minor, Op.64
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6 in B Minor, Op.74, ‘Pathétique’
- Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1 in B Flat Minor, Op.23
- Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D, Op.35
- Tchaikovsky: Fantasy-Overture After Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
- Tippett: Symphony No.2 in C
- Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony (Symphony No.2)
- Vaughan Williams: Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No.3)
- Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto
- Wagner: Prelude Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg
- Walton: Cello Concerto
- Weber: Overture Der Beherrscher Der Geister
- Weber: Overture Der Freischütz
- Weber: Overture Oberon
- Bibliography
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6 in B Minor, Op.74, ‘Pathétique’
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2023
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Editorial Conventions
- Bartók: Piano Concerto No.1
- Bartók: Violin Concerto No.2
- Bartók: Dance Suite
- Beethoven Symphonies: Some Supplementary Remarks
- Beethoven: Overture Leonore No.2
- Beethoven: Overture Leonore No.3
- Beethoven: Overture King Stephen
- Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
- Berlioz: Harold in Italy
- Berlioz: Overtures
- Bloch Schelomo: Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra
- Brahms: Four Symphonies
- Brahms: Piano Concerto No.1 in D Minor, Op.15
- Brahms: Violin Concerto in D, Op.77
- Brahms: Hungarian Dances: A Brief Guide
- Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G Minor, Op.26
- Busoni: Piano Concerto, Op.39
- Debussy: Prélude À L’Après-Midi D’un Faune
- Dvořák: Scherzo Capriccioso, Op.66
- Dvořák: Symphonic Variations, Op.78
- Dvořák: Romance for Violin and Orchestra, Op.11
- Dvořák: Serenade for Strings in E, Op.22
- Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme (‘Enigma’), Op.36
- Elgar: Concert-Overture Froissart
- Elgar: Concert-Overture Cockaigne
- Elgar: Concert-Overture in the South (Alassio)
- Elgar: Sea Pictures
- Elgar: Serenade for Strings in E Minor, Op.20
- Fauré: Fantaisie for Flute, Orch. Louis Aubert
- Franck: Symphony in D Minor
- Haydn: Symphonies with High Horns
- Haydn: Symphony No.100 in G (‘Military’)
- Haydn: Symphony No.104 in D (‘London’)
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No.1 in E Flat
- Liszt: Piano Concerto No.2 in A
- Mahler: Symphony No.2 in C Minor
- Martinù: Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
- Mendelssohn: Symphony No.3 in a Minor, Op.56 (‘Scottish’)
- Mendelssohn: Symphony No.4 in a, Op.90 (‘Italian’)
- Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op.64
- Mendelssohn: Overture The Hebrides (‘Fingal’s Cave’), Op.26
- Mozart: Piano Concertos
- Mussorgsky, Orch. Ravel Pictures from an Exhibition
- Nielsen: Sinfonia Espansiva (Symphony No.3)
- Prokofiev: Classical Symphony (Symphony No.1, Op.25)
- Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf, Op.67
- Rachmaninov: Symphony No.2 in E Minor, Op.27
- Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor, Op.18
- Ravel: Piano Concerto
- Ravel: La Valse
- Ravel: Le Tombeau De Couperin
- Ravel: Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte
- Respighi: Fontane Di Roma
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphonic Suite: Scheherazade, Op.35
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol, Op.34
- Rossini: Overture William Tell
- Saint-Saëns: Symphony No.3 in C Minor, Op.78
- Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No.1 in a Minor, Op.33
- Schubert: Overture Die Zauberharfe, D.644 (‘Rosamunde’)
- Schumann: Symphony No.4 in D Minor, Op.120
- Schumann Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op.52
- Schumann: Cello Concerto in a Minor, Op.129
- Schumann: Overture Genoveva, Op.81
- Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No.1 in E Flat, Op.107
- Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D, Op.43
- Sibelius: Symphony No.3 in C, Op.52
- Sibelius: Symphony No.4 in a Minor, Op.63
- Sibelius: Symphony No.5 in E Flat, Op.82
- Sibelius: Symphony No.6 in D Minor, Op.104
- Sibelius: Symphony No.7 in C, Op.105
- Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op.47
- Sibelius: Tapiola, Op.112
- Smetana: Má Vlast: 2. Vltava
- Smetana: Má Vlast: 3. Šárka
- Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op.40
- Strauss: Horn Concerto No.1 in E Flat, Op.11
- Strauss: Oboe Concerto
- Strauss: Metamorphosen: Study for 23 Solo Strings
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.2 in C Minor, Op.17
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.3 in D, Op.29
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.4 in F Minor, Op.36
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 in E Minor, Op.64
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6 in B Minor, Op.74, ‘Pathétique’
- Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1 in B Flat Minor, Op.23
- Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D, Op.35
- Tchaikovsky: Fantasy-Overture After Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
- Tippett: Symphony No.2 in C
- Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony (Symphony No.2)
- Vaughan Williams: Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No.3)
- Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto
- Wagner: Prelude Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg
- Walton: Cello Concerto
- Weber: Overture Der Beherrscher Der Geister
- Weber: Overture Der Freischütz
- Weber: Overture Oberon
- Bibliography
Summary
The ‘Pathétique’ Symphony is Tchaikovsky's last completed composition, his final testament and his greatest work, in which he left enshrined both his deepest emotions and feelings about all that he held dear in life, and the bitterness and despair that consumed him in these last months. Just one year earlier his benefactress Mme. von Meck had broken off relations with him; he was obsessed by fear of death; and although he was showered with honours he felt his self-confidence shattered. He wrote a letter to his nephew on 23 February, saying: “the idea for a new symphony occurrred to me, this time a programme symphony but with a programme that shall remain an enigma to all – they may guess as they please but the symphony will be called simply ‘Programme Symphony’ ”. The first performance took place in St Petersburg on 28 October, conducted by Tchaikovsky himself; then on the day after the premiere, while he was packing the score to send to his publisher, he said to his brother Modest: “How can I call it ‘Programme Symphony’ when I don't want to reveal the programme?” Modest suggested ‘Tragic Symphony’, but that did not satisfy him. As Modest left the room, suddenly the title ‘Pathétique’ came into his head, and with a ‘bravo’ Tchaikovsky acclaimed the idea and immediately wrote it on the score. Unlike its predecessors, he never had any doubts as to its quality; he repeatedly called it “the best and most sincere of all my works”. At the premiere the public had been somewhat nonplussed, but when Tchaikovsky suddenly died the symphony was given at a memorial concert in November under Nápravník and immediately attracted public attention, making a profound impression doubtless due to its clear autobiographical message: the utter, inconsolable resignation at the end of the finale, in particular, was proclaimed to be prophetic of the composer's impending death.
sources
A Autograph score (1893; essentially finished around 19 August) in the Russian National Museum of Music, Moscow; published in facsimile by State Music Publishers in 1970
(AV Autograph manuscript of Pf duet arrangment, finished by 24 August; lost)
At this point Tchaikovsky decided to invite the violinist Yulii Konyus to his house in Klin, in order to insert bowings in the autograph, something he had never done before. Yulii brought with him his younger pianist brother Lev, and they worked together, staying overnight, around 16–18 August, Tchaikovsky and Lev playing from AV, Yulii entering bowings into A. It soon became clear to Tchaikovsky that his piano reduction was unplayable, and needed to be completely reworked; he wrote to Jurgenson on 20 August, saying that he was giving this task to Lev.
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- Orchestral Masterpieces under the Microscope , pp. 620 - 632Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023