# Tchaikovsky - The Shakespeare Trilogy



## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

_YouTube giveth, YouTube taketh away…_

One of the first posts I made in my _Cover 2 Cover_ series was of a double-CD set of Tchaikovsky's tone poems. In that post, I discussed four of the eight tracks in that set. At that time, all eight tracks were active on _YouTube_.

Since then, the tracks have been removed; it's happened to me before, which is why _I always back up the tracks into my digital music collection_.

All this to say that the tracks we will be discussing this week aren't available as _YouTube_ clips, but will be available for your listening pleasure on my on-line archive.

Three of the tracks are part of what I call Tchaikovsky's Shakespeare Trilogy, works inspired by the Bard's plays. The most well-known of the trilogy is the overture-fantasia in B minor _Romeo and Juliet_ after Shakespeare's tragedy (ca.1594), written by Tchaikovsky in October and November 1869, and extensively revised between July and September 1870. The final, definitive version of the score dates from August 1880. Between 1878 and 1881 Tchaikovsky sketched part of a duet scena for an opera on the subject of Romeo and Juliet, using themes from the overture-fantasia. Like it contemporary tone poem _Fatum_, the first version of the work is dedicated to *Mily Balakirev*.

Tchaikovsky's fantasia _The Tempest _after William Shakespeare's drama (ca.1611), was composed and orchestrated between August and October 1873. The Tempest is dedicated to Vladimir Stasov (1824-1906), art historian, critic, and director of the arts section of the Saint Petersburg Public Library who proposed the subject to Tchaikovsky in a letter dated December 1872. The completed score was prefaced by a short programme:



> The Sea. The magician Prospero commands his spirit Ariel to create a storm, of which a victim is the fortunate Ferdinand. The enchanted island. The first timid stirrings of love between Ferdinand and Miranda. Ariel. Caliban. The lovers are overwhelmed by their passion. Prospero renounces his magical powers and leaves the island. The Sea.


_Hamlet_ is an overture-fantasia after Shakespeare's play _The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark_ (1599-1601). It was written and orchestrated by Tchaikovsky between June and October 1888. Tchaikovsky's brother Modest suggested the following programme in three sections:



> Elsinore and Hamlet before the appearance of the ghost;
> Polonius (scherzando) and Ophelia (adagio) ;
> Hamlet after the appearance of the ghost. His death and Fortinbras


An abridged version of the overture-fantasia was later used in Tchaikovsky's incidental music to the play - written in January 1891 for a French production in Saint Petersburg. Hamlet is dedicated to the Norwegian composer *Edvard Grieg*.

To close off the program, I included from the same Double set the _1812 Overture_.








*Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)*

_Hamlet_ (Гамлет), overture-fantasia in F minor, Op. 67 (TH 53)
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Igor Markevitch, conducting

_The Tempest _(Буря) fantasia in F minor, Op. 18 (TH 44)
Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt 
Eliahu Inbal, conducting

_Romeo and Juliet_ (Ромео и Джульетта) Fantasy-Overture in B minor, TH 42
Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest 
Bernard Haitink, conducting

_The Year 1812_ (1812 год) festival overture in E-flat major, Op. 49 (TH 49)
Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest 
Igor Markevitch, conducting

Tracks from Philips Duo 442586 
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical...enre=55&bcorder=195&name_id=56242&name_role=3

_Internet Archive_ URL - https://archive.org/details/02TchaikovskyBuryaTheTempes


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