Tchaikovsky works

[irrational]

During my recent search for music I have become very interested in the Romantic Russian school.
I am very much enjoying Tchaikovsky and it made me wonder why his works are not played more often.

Just be ear they sound beautiful as Tchaikovsky can write and not too simple, but not overly challenging (for the most part). I have been interested in his 6 Morceaux (op.21) and now discovered his theme and 9 variations in A minor as well.

Anyone here played some of his works with more insight into them or their appearance in the repertoires?

On a further note Medtner, Glazunov, Gliere, Cui, Lyadov...wow. I love the more standard composers, but the Russians are certainly something special and well worth exploring.

[rubinsteinmad]

Yes, ikr? I don't know how, but Northern composers really write some neat music.

My favorite composers in general are from:

(1) Russian Empire
(2) Great Britain
(3) Scandinavia
(4) France 1860-1950
(5) America

[mjames]

^--honestly the only Scandinavian composers i care deeply about are Sibelius and Nielsen. You mind recommending me some great Scandinavian greats?


But yeah, Russian managed (and Germany, France) to crap a crapload of talented musicians. Medtner, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Glinka, Prokofiev, Feinberg...jesus christ. 

[rubinsteinmad]

I like Grieg and Palmgren  and Schytte, especially their miniatures and the concerti. However, I do not know enough names to list the rest. I mainly like the folkmusic of Scandinavia.

But for composers, let me rewrite my list:

(1) Russian Empire/Soviet Union
(2) France 1850-1950
(3) Great Britain
(4)USA <3

[rubinsteinmad]

Medtner, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Glinka, Prokofiev, Feinberg...jesus christ.  

Just to name a few.... UGH

I'll add to that list:
Arensky, Balakirev, Schostakovich (aka James Potter), Lyapunov, Aliabiev, Lyadov, Tchaikovsky, Bortkiewicz, Pletnev, Horowitz, Stranvinsky, Glazunov, etc.

And those are just the more famous ones.
(There are some Ukrainians in the list, but back then it was the Russian Empire. Oh, and Prokofiev was born in what is now Ukraine.)

[coda_colossale]

^--honestly the only Scandinavian composers i care deeply about are Sibelius and Nielsen. You mind recommending me some great Scandinavian greats?

If we are to include the Finnish, then Selim Palmgren, Leif Segerstam, Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg and Kimmo Hakola are all worth a listen, but Einojuhani Rautavaara is to be mentioned separately. He is one of my favourites, and wrote some very transcendental music.

Start with this one

[piulento]

Bloody russians are the best, and Tchaikovsky is awesome (though his orchestral works are naturally even better).
I especially like his seasons op. 37 - they're good pieces, and also great for sight reading.
Gliere is definitely one of my faves, his preludes are incerdible. It's a shame not nearly enough pianists play his works.

[rubinsteinmad]

Oh my gosh I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT GLIERE AND PABST!!!!!

[coda_colossale]

Start with this one

[medtnaculus]

Don't forget Catoire, Roslavets, Lourie, Blumenfeld, Borodin, Tcherepnin, Goltz, STANCHINSKY, Eiges (konstantin, but his son is pretty good too), Myaskovsky, Gretchaninov, Sviridov, the Alexandrovs, Goldenweiser, Mosolov, Rebikov, Lyatoshinsky, Protopopov, Popov, Bortkiewicz (my fav), Sabaneyev, Glazunov and Gliere (of course Scriabin and Rach too).

Close second for me is the French, including Ropartz, Fanelli, Hure, Schmitt, Ravel, Debussy, Jongen, Decaux, Koechlin and Roussel.

Then very close third is the composers from Britain, including Howells, Alwyn, Piggott, Ireland, Arnold, Delius, Quilter, Bax, Lloyd, BRIDGE, Cyril Scott, Vaughan Williams, etc.

I like Scandanavian composers but there are only a few who really stick out to me, being Atterberg,  Klaus Egge, Tveitt, Rangstrom, Langgaard. Finland also has a host of good composers such as Ernest Pingoud, Väinö Raitio, Palmgren and Sibelius.

I've never had much of an interest in Austrian/German composers other than like Reubke, Zemlinsky, Marx and Schreker.

Fell in love with Schreker's piano transcription of his Kammersymphonie last week. Magic.

[irrational]

Hahaha.
Its become a list of composers.
Quite a few russians I have not heard of. I fail to see where I will get the time to explore them all!
Well not soon anyway.
I think you missed Shchedrin...I just watched someone perform a piece called Basso Ostinato. Looks very difficult technically. Strange rhythms and you have to be thin to cross your arms that far!

At the competition I am watching someone will be playing the Saint-saens/Liszt/Horowitz Danse Macabre. Quite looking forward to that one.

[ansgarpiano]

Well I did his "seasons" op 37 no 1 and founded it quiet similair to schumanns kinderzehnen op 15. Fine romantic melodies and harmonies but a bit weired and unpianistic

[symphonicdance]

OP should not miss Tchaikovsky's 18 Pieces, Op. 72.  Meditation, the 5th piece, is very beautiful.

[visitor]

as great as the solo composed works are, I for one happen to find that his symphonic and other words lend themselves especially well to transcription and re arranging. There's a tenderness to some works that really highlights his gift for melody and texture.

stuff like this is out there on the interwebs, and the Pletnev transcriptions of nutcracker and sleeping beauty, ie

, really geeking on the symphony transcriptions as of late. wonderful music, should get more play

always great (and less commonly heard than the nutracker

[ianw]

The database at www.pianosyllabus.com has 154 entries for Tchaikovsky, covering a wide range of difficulty levels:

Grade     # entries
Grade 1 - 2
Grade 2 - 11
Grade 3 - 11
Grade 4 - 21
Grade 5 - 31
Grade 6 - 9 
Grade 7 - 25
Grade 8 - 29
Grade 9 - 14
Grade 10 - 1