Happy Valentine's - Guess the composer (Tchaikovsky - "Songs without words")

[storyseller]

I recently received the video of a recital I gave last summer, and because it's this time of the year it came to mind that out of the entire program, this particular little gem is ideal for a "Valentine's Day" soundtrack, So I thought I should post it here along with my best wishes to everyone.

It is a transcription, so you definitely haven't heard it before (in this version at least). I tried to stay as close to the original as possible though. Can you guess the composer?
Happy Valentine's! 

[lelle]

Beautiful playing, I have no idea about the composer though 

[storyseller]

Well, not many guesses  , so I post the answer together with another "Song without words" (literally) by the same composer (Τchaikovsky) - my transcription. I believe his Romances contain some of his most beautiful, powerfull, and personal music and it is a pity that they are rather neglected for a lot of reasons.

Hope you enjoy! If so, be sure to check out some of his other Romances, they are worth the time. I' ll be transcribing more of them soon.

 

[lelle]

Very nice, thanks for sharing!  What instrumentation are these originally for, and what opus number are they?

[storyseller]

They are for voice and piano. But I tried to make them sound in a "what if he had written them as solo piano pieces in the first place" manner. Eg. I did a small cadenza, or octaves, or filled in some chords in places where there is a single high note held by the singer instead for going for a note-to-note transcription. Or "enhanced" the dynamics, density, polyphony etc. of the piano part in places where he didn't want the piano to overpower the leading voice, but doesn't need being "subordinate" in a solo piano version.

That way, his romances sound like true chamber miniatures - a more elaborate, expanded "Seasons" cycle that remains unnoticed today...

I've posted a "left hand" only trancription of his "None but the lonely heart" here some months ago. The possibilities for "re-descovery" are endless indeed.