CHAN 10299 H Front.qxd 14/9/06 2:24 pm Page 1 CHANDOS CHAN 10299 H CHAN 10299 BOOK.qxd 14/9/06 2:29 pm Page 2 Boris Alexandrovich Tchaikovsky (1925–1996) 1 Sebastopol Symphony (1980) 34:44 For large symphonic orchestra premiere recording Music for Orchestra (1987) 21:36 2 I Motive 2:06 3 II Far Road 4:36 4 III The Wires Sing 1:31 5 IV Four Notes 1:26 6 V Thirds and Quarts 4:30 7 VI Shadows 2:52 8 VII Epilogue 4:35 premiere recording 9 The Wind of Siberia (1984) 16:33 Symphonic Poem To Vladimir Ivanovich Fedoseyev TT 73:12 Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra (renamed Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra) Vladimir Fedoseyev Boris Tchaikovsky 3 CHAN 10299 BOOK.qxd 14/9/06 2:29 pm Page 4 intrinsic life of the melody itself. Russian Nikolay Myaskovsky. During the anti-formalist Boris Tchaikovsky: Sebastopol Symphony and other works composers (at least until Shostakovich) were campaign of 1948, when Shostakovich was not inclined to musical musings. In trying to banned from teaching and his students were avoid subjective, personal creativity in the deemed to have been contaminated, Of the more than one hundred pieces for cello music has come to the conclusion that ideas organisation of sounds, and by listening to Tchaikovsky refused to renounce his written for Mstislav Rostropovich and premiered and concepts are more important than what the melody itself demanded, they made instructors, thus proving his integrity and by him, the great maestro himself distinguishes individual notes and tones, Tchaikovsky’s music that was, perhaps surprisingly, strength of character. After graduating from six pieces with orchestra for special mention: creations always prove the opposite, which may particularly emotionally moving. Moscow Conservatory in 1949 and a brief Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante, Britten’s Cello have made them appear too ‘old-fashioned’ to All this is true of the music of Boris spell working at a radio station until 1952, Symphony, two concertos by Shostakovich, Tout arouse significant interest. Tchaikovsky, in which the elements are Boris Tchaikovsky made his living from un monde lointain by Dutilleux, and the Boris Tchaikovsky composed four interconnected in such an intuitively powerful composition alone, and received commissions Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by Boris symphonies, four concertos and a number of way that the works exist independently of for works for radio, theatre, film and television. Tchaikovsky. The fact that Tchaikovsky’s other large symphonic works, six string whether or not one finds them modern During the last years of his life (from 1989 to Concerto is listed among these works is rather quartets, a piano quintet, numerous chamber enough. The composer himself never tried to 1996) he taught at the Russian Musical significant, as is the surprise that many music compositions, vocal cycles, and music for more seem especially extravagant and was generally Academy, where he was a professor in the lovers may feel upon seeing this practically than thirty motion picture soundtracks. His far removed from the avant garde of Russian Department of Composition. unknown name listed amongst the greatest inimitable musical language – refined, poetic or world music. But despite this (or perhaps Tchaikovsky’s musical style underwent composers of the twentieth century. Boris and inspired by high moral aspirations – was because of it), his work does not borrow a several evolutionary stages during the decades Tchaikovsky, one of the quintessential figures of always free from both official ideology and single tune or chord from anyone else. Being of his musical activity. His works from the the last fifty years of music in Russia, is almost volatile fashion. incredibly inventive in every aspect of musical 1940s and 1950s, such as the Sinfonietta for unheard of by the world’s listeners, a situation To understand the essence of Tchaikovsky’s technique, he never allowed himself to String Orchestra (1953), Clarinet Concerto all the more shocking since his music has been works, one must understand one of the basic substitute illusion for true inspiration. (1957), Piano Trio (1953) and the various performed by such famed musicians as qualities of Russian music and Russian art in Boris Alexandrovich Tchaikovsky (no relation sonatas for different instruments, demonstrate Alexander Gauk, Kiril Kondrashin, Rudolf general: namely, its underlying quest for to Pyotr Ilyich) was born in Moscow on an inspired and individual following of his Barshai, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Mstislav objectivity. Russian art is meant to be taken as 10 September 1925. His father was an expert teachers Myaskovsky and Shostakovich. By the Rostropovich, Galina Vishnevskaya and Igor a fact of reality (whether that reality is past, in statistics and economic geography as well 1960s, however, as American musicologist Oistrakh. It could be that Tchaikovsky’s name is present, legendary or fantastical makes no as a capable self-taught violinist, and his Louis Blois writes: met with profound silence because audiences difference), rather than a fabrication or the mother was a medic. In 1943 Boris entered If a hint of a Shostakovich or even a Britten have been diverted by more conspicuously play of someone’s imagination. This objectivity the Moscow Conservatory where he studied influence could be discerned, Tchaikovsky’s new contemporary music and have failed to detect means that the main force in Russian music is the piano under Lev Oborin and composition lyricism and the unique rhythmic and harmonic the originality behind the seemingly not the creative will of the composer, but is under other prominent teachers such as framework in which it is cast were distinctly traditionalist façade of his works. While modern instead the mysterious, self-sufficient and Vissarion Shebalin, Dmitri Shostakovich and recognisable as his own. Tchaikovsky had found 4 5 CHAN 10299 BOOK.qxd 14/9/06 2:29 pm Page 6 his mature voice, which allowed him to create a late works his style has crystallised into being, time forwards, or backwards, or I could freeze it, achieved in the combined sound of related powerful new language that was distinctly Russian into super-solid matter. or that I could do all three at once. instruments playing together. The main theme in sound, thoroughly up-to-date, and capable of a And, indeed, such works as Music for The structure of many of Tchaikovsky’s of the symphony, which appears after a slow wide range of expression. Orchestra (1987), Symphony with Harp works is influenced largely by his tendency to opening and consists of a multitude of Speaking about the uniqueness of (1993), the symphonic poems Juvenile and express his ideas through brightly outlined, repetitions of a short three-tone motif, is Tchaikovsky’s voice, Blois notes a The Wind of Siberia (both 1984) are completed episodes. Suite-like formulation is a particularly remarkable in this regard. It is set of curiously Sphinx-like ideas that, by making distinguished by a new and unique blend of characteristic of his thinking. Whether the played in the third octave by four flutes, four oblique references to the familiar rhetoric, simplicity in musical expression and a deeply piece becomes a multi-movement composition, oboes, four clarinets, and a soprano tantalises the listener with a mix of the familiar enlightened world view. such as, for instance, Music for Orchestra, or saxophone, all in unison. Just as remarkable is and the unfamiliar. Even the nature of the motivic The Sebastopol Symphony was written has a single movement, like the Sebastopol the calmer extension of this theme, assigned material itself yields a harvest of unfathomable about the port city on the Black Sea in the Symphony, depends on the self-sufficiency of to the cellos in their highest register. One of mysteries. Very often his ideas are centered on Crimea (today part of the Ukraine). During the an episode. The composer himself says about the most impressive episodes of the music’s most basic building blocks: a particular nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Sebastopol, constructing the symphony: symphony is the alto flute solo, gradually interval, a triad, a simple rhythmic cell… which served as a base for Russia’s Black Sea Any educated person will say that every element developed at first by three regular flutes, and The works of the 60s and 70s – the fleet, endured two tragic periods: in 1855 the in a piece must be repeated. But I have broken then by all the high woodwinds. Second Symphony (1967), Cello Concerto city was besieged by the united English and that rule rather often, for instance in the Music for Orchestra is Tchaikovsky’s (1964), Violin Concerto (1969), Piano French forces, and in 1942 it was seized by Sebastopol Symphony. It starts just from the first penultimate major work (the Symphony with Concerto (1971), Theme and Eight Variations German troops. Formally, the Sebastopol theme, and then it’s all new material. And then, Harp is the last). This work consolidates the (1973) and so on – reveal a brightly individual Symphony fits the universal mould for sea after a false recapitulation, the music begins to author’s tendency to set forth autonomous, composer in possession of a broad arsenal of music: it begins with the portrayal of seagull repeat itself, but some things that were obvious self-sufficient ideas that do not need vast the means of expression. cries and the tranquil rhythm of the waves, and disappear without a trace. I knew that I had development. The title itself speaks of the The Sebastopol Symphony of 1980 was is full of startingly vivid visual imagery. But ‘sinned’, but then decided that something had to victory of spontaneous inspiration over the preceded by a four-year-long pause, the what is interesting is that Tchaikovsky himself go and not come back.