大象传媒

This week Donald Macleod reflects on five aspects of Tchaikovsky. His ancestral Russian roots were a matter of great pride to him, but just how Russian a composer was he?

In 19th-century Russia, music was a key strand in national identity. The God was Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, the first Russian composer to emerge fully from the shadow of the Italians 鈥� Araja, Bonnechi, Locatelli, Galuppi, Manfredini, Paisiello, Sarti, Cimarosa and others 鈥� who had been bringing their operatic tradition to St Petersburg since the first half of the previous century. Glinka鈥檚 music sounded authentically 鈥楻ussian鈥�, and set the standard that later composers either lived up to or departed from. Even during his lifetime, and at the height of his success, Tchaikovsky鈥檚 music was regarded by some influential cultural commissars 鈥� in particular, one Vladimir Stasov 鈥� as being not quite Russian enough. According to Stasov, Tchaikovsky 鈥渄id not carry in his musical nature the 鈥榥ational鈥� element, and was from head to toe a cosmopolitan and eclectic.鈥� Stravinsky, writing nearly 30 years after Tchaikovsky鈥檚 death, still felt the need to defend his Russianness: 鈥淭chaikovsky鈥檚 music, which does not appear specifically Russian to everybody, is quite as Russian as Pushkin鈥檚 verse or Glinka鈥檚 song. While not specially cultivating in his art the 鈥榮oul of the Russian peasant鈥�, Tchaikovsky drew unconsciously from the true, popular sources of our race.鈥�

Sixteen Songs for Children, Op 54 (No 10, 鈥楲ullaby in a storm鈥�)
Joan Rogers, soprano
Roger Vignoles, piano

Scherzo 脿 la Russe, Op 1 No 1
Earl Wild, piano

Symphony No 2 (鈥楲ittle Russian鈥�) (2nd mvt, Andantino marziale, quasi moderato)
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Claudio Abbado, conductor

String Quartet No 1 in D, Op 11 (2nd mvt, Andante cantabile)
Heath Quartet

All-Night Vigil (No 16, The Great Doxology)
Latvian Radio Choir
Sigvards Klava, director

The Year 1812, Op 49
Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra
Minnesota Brass Band
Bronze Cannon, Douay, France (1775)
Bells of the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Carillon, The Riverside Church
Antal Dor谩ti, conductor

Six Romances, Op 6 (No 6, 鈥楴one but the Lonely Heart鈥�)
Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass
Zlatina Ghiaurov, piano

Produced by Chris Barstow