Tchaikovsky
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Kreutzer Sonata
Креуцер соната
Opening of the first movement of the Sonata for Violin with Piano in A minor (Op. 47) by Ludwig van Beethoven, arranged for orchestra (1863/64).
| Catalogue References | TH 168 ; ČW 338 (as "Movement I of the Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 47 (fragment)") |
|---|---|
| Date | 1863 or 1864 (student work) |
| Key | A major–A minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Adagio sostenuto (A major)—Presto (A minor) (190 bars) |
| Instrumentation | 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (A), 2 Bassoons + 4 Horns (A, E), 2 Trumpets (E), Alto Trombone, Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone + Timpani + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses |
| Autograph Location | Klin: Tchaikovsky House-Museum Archive (a1, No. 132) |
| First Publication | Moscow: Muzyka, 1967 |
| Average Duration | 4 minutes |
| Notes | The Sonata for Violin and Piano in A minor, Op. 47 (known as the ‘Kreutzer’) by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), was completed in 1803, and first published in 1805. Tchaikovsky orchestrated the introduction and exposition of the 1st movement (Adagio sostenuto—Presto) |
| External Links |
IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
 (downloadable score) |
History
Made during Tchaikovsky's years at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, evidently as a student assignment. On the manuscript score of the arrangement Herman Laroche added a note: "First Allegro from Beethoven's Sonata Op. 47 for piano with violin (known as the Kreutzer), arranged for large orchestra".
From:
Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), p. 495
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston