Tchaikovsky Research : Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 48 (TH 48)

Catalogue References	TH 48 ; ČW 45
Date	September–October 1880
Contents	Pezzo in forma di sonatina. Andante non troppo—Allegro moderato (C major, 295 bars) Valse. Moderato. Tempo di Valse (G major, 223 bars) Elegia. Larghetto elegiaco (D major, 162 bars) Finale (Tema russo). Andante—Allegro con spirito (C major, 406 bars)
Key	C major
Instrumentation	Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
Arrangements	Also arranged for piano duet (4 hands) by Tchaikovsky, October 1880
Notable Performances	Moscow, Conservatory, 21 November/3 December 1880, by conservatory students (private concert) Saint Petersburg, 3rd Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 18/30 October 1881, conducted by Eduard Nápravník (first public performance) Moscow, 7th Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 16/28 January 1882, conducted by Max Erdmannsdörfer Tiflis, 2nd Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 27 March/8 April 1884, conducted by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov New York, Academy of Music, Symphony Society concert, 12/24 January 1885, conducted by Leopold Damrosch Saint Petersburg, Philharmonic Society concert, 5/17 March 1887, conducted by Tchaikovsky (2nd and 3rd movements only) Hamburg, 6th Philharmonic Society concert, 8/20 January 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky Prague, National Theatre, 9/21 February 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky Paris, Colonne Orchestra concert, 16/28 February 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky (2nd and 3rd movements only) Paris, 16th Châtelet concert, 21 February/4 March 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky Paris, 17th Châtelet concert, 28 February/11 March 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky (2nd and 3rd movements only) London, St. James’s Hall, 2nd Philharmonic Society concert, 10/22 March 1888, conducted by Tchaikovsky Berlin, Philharmonic Society concert, 14/26 February 1889, conducted by Tchaikovsky Geneva, New Theatre, 25 February/9 March 1889, conducted by Tchaikovsky Kiev, 1st Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 21 October/2 November 1889, conducted by Aleksandr Vinogradsky Tiflis, special Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 20 October/1 November 1890, conducted by Tchaikovsky Baltimore, Lyceum Theatre, 3/15 May 1891, conducted by Tchaikovsky Warsaw, 2/14 January 1892, conducted by Tchaikovsky (2nd and 3rd movements only) Brussels, 2/14 January 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky (2nd and 3rd movements only) Odessa, Slavonic Society free concert, 22 January/3 February 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky (2nd movement only) Kharkov, 2nd Russian Musical Society symphony concert, 14/26 November 1893, conducted by Ilya Slatin (2nd movement only)
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture (ф. 88, Nos. 82–83) — full score and arrangement for piano duet
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1881 (full score and arrangement for piano duet)
Average Duration	30 minutes
Dedication	Karl Albrecht (1836–1893)
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) Wikipedia (article)

History

"No sooner had I begun to spend a number of days relaxing, than I began to feel somewhat restless and rather unwell... Today I could not bear it, and endure it no longer, and I busied myself a little with designs for a future symphony—perhaps? I immediately began to feel cheerful, well and relaxed ... This effect proved not to diminish itself with time, and I satisfied my intrinsic need to work—especially composition. Now here I am already with designs for a symphony or string quartet; I do not yet know which", Tchaikovsky wrote to Nadezhda von Meck on 9/21 September 1880 [1]. He also wrote to Anatoly Tchaikovsky on 21 September/3 October 1880 that he had: "started to write something" [2]. By 25 September/7 October three movements of the new work were ready [3].

In a letter to Nadezhda von Meck of 25 September/7 October, Tchaikovsky described his new work as a suite for string orchestra. On 6/18 October in a letter to Anatoly Tchaikovsky he reported: "I’ve done quite a lot recently. I’ve already written the overture for the exhibition [4], and also written and should finish off a serenade for string instruments" [5]. "I am now gradually orchestrating it", we read in a letter to Nadezhda von Meck of 8/20–10/22 October 1880, and later: "The Serenade... I composed from an innate impulse; that is something which arises from having freedom to think, and is not devoid of true worth" [6].

In the work's finale, Tchaikovsky included the melodies of two Russian folk songs: "On the Green Meadow" [«А как по лугу»] and Under the Green Apple Tree [«Под яблонью»]. The songs together with their accompaniment were taken by the composer from his collection of Fifty Russian Folk-Songs (taken from Mily Balakirev’s collection).

By 14/26 October the Serenade was ready, and Tchaikovsky set to work on its arrangement for piano duet [7], which was completed on 23 October/4 November 1880 (according to the author’s date on the manuscript). Despatching the score and piano duet arrangement to Pyotr Jurgenson to be published, Tchaikovsky wrote: "I happened to write a Serenade for string orchestra in four movements, and am sending it to you the day after tomorrow in the form of a full score and four-hand arrangement ... I love this Serenade terribly, and fervently hope that it might soon see the light of day" [8]. On the second page of the score, Tchaikovsky noted: "The larger number of players in the string orchestra, the more this shall be in accordance with the author's wishes".

The Serenade was performed for the first time on 21 November/3 December 1880 at a private concert in the Moscow Conservatory by a force of professors and students, as a surprise for Tchaikovsky, who was visiting after long absence from the Conservatory [9].

Sergey Taneyev assisted Tchaikovsky in correcting the score for publication [10]. In January 1881 the full score and parts of the Serenade were printed and issued by Pyotr Jurgenson. In April the same year the composer's arrangement for piano duet was published.

On 17/29 June 1881, Tchaikovsky wrote to Eduard Nápravník, asking if the Serenade might be included in one of the future concerts [11]. In his reply of 27 June/9 July that year, Nápravník agreed to perform the Serenade in one of the forthcoming concerts [12].

The first public performance of the Serenade for Strings took place in Saint Petersburg on 18/30 October 1881, at the third symphony concert of the Russian Musical Society, conducted by Eduard Nápravník. In Moscow it was performed for the first time on 16/28 January 1882 at the seventh concert of the Russian Musical Society, conducted by Max Erdmannsdörfer.

Serenade for String Orchestra

(Серенада для струнного оркестра)

History

Notes: