Tchaikovsky
www.tchaikovsky-research.net
Romance
(Романс)
Op. 5 (1868).
| Catalogue References | TH 127 ; ČW 104 |
|---|---|
| Date | November 1868. |
| Key | F minor |
| Tempo/Section Listing | Andante cantabile (F minor, 106 bars) |
| Instrumentation | Piano (solo) |
| First Performance | Moscow, 8/20 December 1868, by Nikolay Rubinstein |
| Autograph Location | Moscow (Russia): Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 106) |
| First Publication | Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1868 |
| Average Duration | 6 minutes |
| Dedication | Désirée Artôt (1835–1907) |
| External Links | IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
 (downloadable score) |
History
Probably written in November 1868 in Moscow, during the period in which Tchaikovsky was enamoured by the Italian Opera artist Désirée Artôt. who sang in the 1868–69 season in Moscow. "The other day there was a concert in aid of poor students, where the last performer before the end was a certain person [Artôt]; at this same concert my dances [from The Voyevoda] were played with great success, and Rubinstein played my new piece, dedicated to Artôt", Tchaikovsky reported to his brother Modest [1].
In the same letter he referred to the fact that two of his piano pieces were about to appear in print. One of these was the Romance, Op. 5, and the other was the Valse-caprice, Op. 4.
The Romance was dedicated to Désirée Artôt, and performed for the first time by Nikolay Rubinstein on 8/20 December 1868, at a concert in aid of poor students at Moscow University.
Published by Pyotr Jurgenson in 1868.
From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958),
pp. 392–393
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston
Notes:
- Letter 124 to Modest Tchaikovsky, mid/late December 1868 [back]