I was absolutely taken by this song back in 2017 when I was on the hunt for a theme to use for a character in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign I was running. There is very little discussion of it on the internet. It's very cool to see an analysis of the piece pop up in my feed. Thanks!
Enjoyed your analysis, as usual by now:-), and your performance! Your timing, dynamics, especially the pianissimos, are impeccable! You deserve many more views an Likes!
A fantastic explanation! I’ve been looking for someone like this for months now, nobody seems to know this piece well via an analysis perspective! And also a beautiful interpretation too!!
A most illuminating and fascinating presentation by you on Tchaikovsky and the failure of others always to give him the respect he truly deserved (he would have undoubtedly swooned at your approbation, Cole!). I was particularly taken with your premise that he was a 'composer' first and foremost and that his talents did not stretch that far with regard to being an instrumentalist or conductor! I notice that the Six Pieces (Six morceaux) for solo piano, Op. 51, was actually a commission, first suggested by Nikolay Bernard in 1882, and then later 'required' that year by the Jurgenson brothers. In some correspondence with Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Jurgenson commented: "Naturally I would not wish that your muse should be awakened just for financial reasons" . . . which intrigues me. Cole, is music that is composed to secure a living as worthy of admiration as music that is internally inspired just by the urge to be creative and express an aspect of oneself that needs to be released? Tchaikovsky was clearly a tortured soul and his most powerful music is, as I sense it, the expression of so much pain and longing. So what about this miniature? Is it just a 'job' completed or is it more than this . . ?
That is a very interesting question! I think there is a bit of a danger of over romanticizing the role of so-called “inspiration” in the work of great artists. Actually, throughout history, many of the greatest pieces that are treasured as unique expressive utterances were originally written on commission-in fact it was rare to even write pieces if you had no immediate prospect of getting them performed or published, or performing them yourself. The case of Wagner and his ring cycle was kind of an extreme exception to the general trend of this necessary practicality among composers-although he was an unusually egotistical personality. And even he set it aside to work on something a bit more practical (Tristan and Meistersinger😁) that he might be able to get funding for sooner. So it’s always a delicate balance. Tchaikovsky himself made jokes to his friends in letters about the short pieces that he wrote to “pay the bills.” “I flipped several pancakes today,” he wrote, or words to that effect after composing several of the pieces in “the seasons.” Nonetheless I think when you are accustomed to giving of yourself generously through music like he was, then really you almost always do so, no matter the medium. For me the proof is in the music itself. I think his emotional commitment is still obvious even in a little “tidbit” like this one. Anyway, just some thoughts on that topic. Thank you for the interesting comments and for watching!
@@TheIndependentPianist Cole, thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to respond to my question! As ever, I find your observations both erudite and ever gracious in their pertinence. Whether 'inspired' or 'commissioned', as you say, it is the "giving of yourself generously through music" that is why Tchaikovsky's compositions are so deserving of our love and admiration and attention. When at his most poignant and heart-breaking as expressed through the intensity in his music, he reaches through the depths of our emotional essence to the very core, and in baring his soul to us, he seeks to connect beyond the palpable or sublime. For me, only music is capable of such effect and disclosure.
Thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed the video! I've been studying Tchaikovsky for a few years now and have been paying my attention especially to his ways of indicating tempi. Based on my analyses, I've made a conclusion (of course not entirely undisputable) that by writing "piu presto" he indicates the performer to take a (small) step towards that direction. Most often, if the tempo is somewhat slow (like an andante), he writes "piu allegro" and if the tempo is already quite allegro, he writes "piu presto". In that sense you could argue that writing "piu mosso" or "piu [a faster than the current Italian tempo marking] has the same function. A side note: His dynamic markings are also sometimes very meticulous. For example when he writes "piu piano/forte", he indicates a very subtle change in the dynamics. He uses it often to give player the indication to play in the middle of for example pp and p, thus writing a sequence: pp - piu forte - p. Thank you for your patience and for your insightful video!
A true valse lente although it is a bit derivative. I'm still a sucker for these salon type of pieces. I would've liked to hear the difference between the sixteenth and eighth notes i.e. bars 3 and 5. Of course the trick is to play the dotted D flat a bit shorter. I think you were going for Piatigorsky's version so with rubato it's a wash anyway. I didn't know the concerto's opening chords were originally rolled! Tchaikovsky would've agreed with your "...suavely sculpted lines" ;p.
@@licoricestic ahhhh interesting. I suppose from the point of view that Chopin established the waltz as a piano piece yes-but to me the musical language seems very peculiar to Tchaikovsky, so I don’t really consider it to be so derivative myself... agree to disagree? :-) thanks for the comment!
@@TheIndependentPianist You'll have to point out the Tchaikovskyisms in this piece for me then. I only hear it for 10 seconds lol @9:50 -10:00. That poor anguished soul he was.
It should be borne in mind that most of Tchaikovsky's solo piano pieces are aimed at amateur pianists and are easy or intermediate level pieces. These pieces were widely consumed in their time and were a sure source of money for the composer.
I was absolutely taken by this song back in 2017 when I was on the hunt for a theme to use for a character in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign I was running. There is very little discussion of it on the internet. It's very cool to see an analysis of the piece pop up in my feed. Thanks!
Awesome, so glad you found it!
Enjoyed your analysis, as usual by now:-), and your performance! Your timing, dynamics, especially the pianissimos, are impeccable! You deserve many more views an Likes!
A charming, touching piece.
A fantastic explanation! I’ve been looking for someone like this for months now, nobody seems to know this piece well via an analysis perspective! And also a beautiful interpretation too!!
A most illuminating and fascinating presentation by you on Tchaikovsky and the failure of others always to give him the respect he truly deserved (he would have undoubtedly swooned at your approbation, Cole!). I was particularly taken with your premise that he was a 'composer' first and foremost and that his talents did not stretch that far with regard to being an instrumentalist or conductor! I notice that the Six Pieces (Six morceaux) for solo piano, Op. 51, was actually a commission, first suggested by Nikolay Bernard in 1882, and then later 'required' that year by the Jurgenson brothers. In some correspondence with Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Jurgenson commented: "Naturally I would not wish that your muse should be awakened just for financial reasons" . . . which intrigues me. Cole, is music that is composed to secure a living as worthy of admiration as music that is internally inspired just by the urge to be creative and express an aspect of oneself that needs to be released? Tchaikovsky was clearly a tortured soul and his most powerful music is, as I sense it, the expression of so much pain and longing. So what about this miniature? Is it just a 'job' completed or is it more than this . . ?
That is a very interesting question! I think there is a bit of a danger of over romanticizing the role of so-called “inspiration” in the work of great artists. Actually, throughout history, many of the greatest pieces that are treasured as unique expressive utterances were originally written on commission-in fact it was rare to even write pieces if you had no immediate prospect of getting them performed or published, or performing them yourself. The case of Wagner and his ring cycle was kind of an extreme exception to the general trend of this necessary practicality among composers-although he was an unusually egotistical personality. And even he set it aside to work on something a bit more practical (Tristan and Meistersinger😁) that he might be able to get funding for sooner. So it’s always a delicate balance. Tchaikovsky himself made jokes to his friends in letters about the short pieces that he wrote to “pay the bills.” “I flipped several pancakes today,” he wrote, or words to that effect after composing several of the pieces in “the seasons.” Nonetheless I think when you are accustomed to giving of yourself generously through music like he was, then really you almost always do so, no matter the medium. For me the proof is in the music itself. I think his emotional commitment is still obvious even in a little “tidbit” like this one. Anyway, just some thoughts on that topic. Thank you for the interesting comments and for watching!
@@TheIndependentPianist Cole, thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to respond to my question! As ever, I find your observations both erudite and ever gracious in their pertinence. Whether 'inspired' or 'commissioned', as you say, it is the "giving of yourself generously through music" that is why Tchaikovsky's compositions are so deserving of our love and admiration and attention. When at his most poignant and heart-breaking as expressed through the intensity in his music, he reaches through the depths of our emotional essence to the very core, and in baring his soul to us, he seeks to connect beyond the palpable or sublime. For me, only music is capable of such effect and disclosure.
Thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed the video!
I've been studying Tchaikovsky for a few years now and have been paying my attention especially to his ways of indicating tempi. Based on my analyses, I've made a conclusion (of course not entirely undisputable) that by writing "piu presto" he indicates the performer to take a (small) step towards that direction. Most often, if the tempo is somewhat slow (like an andante), he writes "piu allegro" and if the tempo is already quite allegro, he writes "piu presto". In that sense you could argue that writing "piu mosso" or "piu [a faster than the current Italian tempo marking] has the same function.
A side note: His dynamic markings are also sometimes very meticulous. For example when he writes "piu piano/forte", he indicates a very subtle change in the dynamics. He uses it often to give player the indication to play in the middle of for example pp and p, thus writing a sequence: pp - piu forte - p.
Thank you for your patience and for your insightful video!
Great video!!
What a lovely piece! I wonder if I could learn to play it...just the A section though! 😁
Definitely!
A true valse lente although it is a bit derivative. I'm still a sucker for these salon type of pieces. I would've liked to hear the difference between the sixteenth and eighth notes i.e. bars 3 and 5. Of course the trick is to play the dotted D flat a bit shorter. I think you were going for Piatigorsky's version so with rubato it's a wash anyway. I didn't know the concerto's opening chords were originally rolled! Tchaikovsky would've agreed with your "...suavely sculpted lines" ;p.
What do you think it is derivative of?
Chopin?
@@licoricestic ahhhh interesting. I suppose from the point of view that Chopin established the waltz as a piano piece yes-but to me the musical language seems very peculiar to Tchaikovsky, so I don’t really consider it to be so derivative myself... agree to disagree? :-) thanks for the comment!
@@TheIndependentPianist You'll have to point out the Tchaikovskyisms in this piece for me then. I only hear it for 10 seconds lol @9:50 -10:00. That poor anguished soul he was.
It should be borne in mind that most of Tchaikovsky's solo piano pieces are aimed at amateur pianists and are easy or intermediate level pieces. These pieces were widely consumed in their time and were a sure source of money for the composer.