Tchaikovsky Research : Sixteen Songs for Children, Op. 54 (TH 104)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 259
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem of the same name (1878)
Language	Russian
Key	A minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato (A minor., 63 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 2. Little Bird (Птичка)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 260 (as "The Little Bird")
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem In imitation of the Polish (Подражание польскому) (1856) — a translation from the Polish of the poem Oracz de skowronka (1851) by Władysław Syrokomla (pseudonym of Ludwik Kondratowicz, 1823–1862)
Language	Russian
Key	G major
Tempo/Section Listing	Andante con moto (G major., 45 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 3. Spring: The Grass Grows Green (Весна: Травка зеленеет)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 261 (as "Spring (The Grass Is Turning Green)")
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from an untitled poem in the cycle Country Songs (Сельские песни) (1858) — a translation from an unidentified Polish source
Language	Russian
Key	G major
Tempo/Section Listing	Allegro con spirito (G major., 71 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 4. My Little Garden (Мой садик)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 262
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem of the same name (1858)
Language	Russian
Key	G major
Tempo/Section Listing	Allegro comodo (59 bars, G major.)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 5. Legend (Легенда)

(a) 1st version:

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 263a
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem of the same name (1877) — a translation from the English poem Roses and Thorns (1857) by Richard Henry Stoddard (1825–1903) [19]
Language	Russian
Key	E minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato (E minor., 80 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

(b) 2nd version:

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 263b
Date	April 1884
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem of the same name (1877) — a translation from the English poem Roses and Thorns (1857) by Richard Henry Stoddard (1825–1903) [19]
Language	Russian
Key	F minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato (F minor., 80 bars)
Instrumentation	Soprano voice + 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (B♭), 2 Bassoons + 2 Horns (F) + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
First Performance	Moscow, April 1884
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 141a)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1890
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
Note	A Study Score is available for this work
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

Catalogue References	TH 85 ; ČW 350
Date	January 1889
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem of the same name (1877) — a translation from the English poem Roses and Thorns (1857) by Richard Henry Stoddard (1825–1903) [19]
Language	Russian
Key	E minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato (E minor., 67 bars)
Instrumentation	Chorus (SATB)
First Performance	Saint Petersburg, 19/31 March 1889, conducted by Fedor Bekker
Autograph Location	Lost
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1890
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
Dedication	To the Chorus of the Imperial Opera in Saint Petersburg

No. 6. On the Bank (На берегу)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 264
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem of the same name (1874)
Language	Russian
Key	C major
Tempo/Section Listing	Allegro non troppo (C major., 51 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	(ф. 88, No. 140)Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 7. Winter Evening (Зимний вечер)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 265
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem of the same name (1872)
Language	Russian
Key	C minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato (C minor., 124 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 8. The Cuckoo (Кукушка)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 266
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem The Cuckoo. A Fable by Gellert (1872) — a translation from the German of Der Kuckuck from Book 1 of Fables (1769) by Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (1715–1769)
Language	Russian
Key	G major
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato (G major., 133 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 9. Spring: The Snow is Already Melting (Весна: Уж тает снег)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 267
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem of the same name (1872)
Language	Russian
Key	F major
Tempo/Section Listing	Allegro animato (F major., 57 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 10. Lullaby in a Storm (Колыбельная песнь в бурю)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 268
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), after his poem In a Storm (В бурю) (1872)
Language	Russian
Key	F minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato (F minor., 57 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 11. The Little Flower (Цветок)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 269
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem The Little Flower: On a motif of Louis Ratisbonne (Цветок. На мотив из Луи Ратисбонна) (1872) — a translation from the French of La petite fleur by Louis Ratisbonne (1827–1900)
Language	Russian
Key	F major
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato con moto (F major., 78 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 12. Winter (Зима)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 270
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem From Life (Из жизни) (1873)
Language	Russian
Key	D major
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato (D major., 57 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 13. Spring Song (Весенняя песня)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 271
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from his poem Spring (Весна) (1853)
Language	Russian
Key	A major
Tempo/Section Listing	Allegro moderato (A major., 117 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 14. Autumn (Осень)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 272
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825–1893), from an untitled poem (1860)
Language	Russian
Key	F♯ minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Moderato assai (F♯ minor., 44 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 15. The Swallow (Ласточка)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 273
Date	October–November 1883
Text	Ivan Zakharovich Surikov (1817–1860), from his poem of the same name (1872) — a translation from the Polish of Jaskółka (1853) by Teofil Lenartowicz Teofil Lenartowicz (1822–1893) [20]
Language	Russian
Key	G major
Tempo/Section Listing	Allegro moderato (G major., 109 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Moscow (Russia): Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 140)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1884
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

No. 16. Child's Song: My Lizochek (Детская песенка: Мой Лизочек)

Catalogue References	TH 104 ; ČW 274 (as "Children's Song")
Date	December 1880–January 1881
Text	Konstantin Sergeevich Aksakov (1817–1860), after his poem An Mariechen (1836)
Language	Russian
Key	A minor
Tempo/Section Listing	Allegro moderato (A minor., 100 bars)
Instrumentation	High voice + Piano
Autograph Location	Lost
First Publication	Moscow, 1881 (in the journal Детский отдух, No. 1)
Average Duration	2–3 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) The Lied and Art Song Texts Page (text and translations)

History

Nos. 1 to 15 were composed. between 21 October/2 November and 3/15 November 1883 at Kamenka. Child’s Song (No. 16) was composed at the same place in December 1880 to January 1881. All the songs are written for high voice.

Tchaikovsky first had the idea of composing a collection of children's songs in 1881. On 7/19 March that year he asked Petr Jurgenson to send him Karl Albrecht's Child’s Songs and "any other sort of children’s songs" [1], and on 4/16 June he reported his intention to write a collection of children's songs [2].

Even before this, apparently in December 1880 or January 1881, Tchaikovsky had composed Child’s Song ("My Lizochek"), which was then published by Petr Jurgenson [3].

The remaining songs used in the collection were written in the autumn of 1883 at Kamenka, shortly after the Suite No. 2 had been completed.

Reading through the July issue of Old Russia [Русская старина] in 1883, Tchaikovsky made an entry in his notebook: "If going to write children’s songs, use two texts by Tumanskii from Old Russia) [4].

After completing the Suite No. 2 on 13/25 October, Tchaikovsky spent five days in Kiev before returning to Kamenka on 19 October. From here he wrote to Nikolai Konradi: "Now I shall rest for a while, i.e. writing nothing, or next to nothing" [5]. On the fair copy of the song Spring (No. 3). Tchaikovsky wrote the date "Kamenka, 23 Oct[ober] 1883" [6]. On 24 October/5 November, the composer told Modest Tchaikovsky: "It is obvious that I cannot live without work here even for a few days, and scarcely had I finished my suite than I set about composing children's songs. carefully writing one each day. But this work is agreeable and easy because I’ve taken the texts from Pleshcheev's Snowdrop, which is full of delightful things" [7].

Aleksei Pleshcheev's collection of poems entitled Snowdrop was given to Tchaikovsky by the author himself, with the following inscription: "To Petr Il’ich Tchaikovsky, as a token of respect for his beautiful music set to my poor words. A. Pleshcheev. 15 February 1881. Petersburg". This volume contains the composer's original notes, including some short musical sketches, against twenty poems.

The composer worked on the songs with great enthusiasm: "I am now writing a collection of children’s songs, which I have been planning for some time"—he wrote to Nadezhda von Meck on 25 October/6 November 1883. "I am quite carried away with this work, and I think the songs will turn out well" [8].

On 30 October/11 November. Tchaikovsky told Praskov'ia Tchaikovskaia that composition of the songs had come to a halt: "I would have written more of them because I find this work very agreeable, but I have run out of suitable poems" [9]. He also wrote to Modest Tchaikovsky on 31 October/12 November: "I have been writing some children's songs, but have had to stop due to a shortage of texts" [10].

It seems that at this point the rough draft was more or less complete, and work had begun on copying out the songs, as Tchaikovsky wrote to Nadezhda von Meck on 1/13 November: "I am occupied with writing children’s songs. This should have been completed during my holiday, had I not been carried away and made so many sketches, which I now yearn to be over and done with" [11].

On 3/15 November 1883. Tchaikovsky wrote to Petr Jurgenson from Kamenka: "Today I sent you 15 children's songs. They should preferably be published with illustrations, thus making a splendid present for children—but do whatever you think best. If you wish, you can add Lizochek to them" [12].

All the songs were published for the first time – together with Child's Song (No. 16) – by Petr Jurgenson in March 1884 [13].

Travelling to Berlin in February 1884, the composer forgot to take the proofs of the children's songs with him, and on 8/20 February he asked Petr Jurgenson to engage Karl Klindworth to read the proofs: "To ensure that the words fit with the music you should either wait for me, or turn to Taneev, Laroche, Kashkin, etc." [14].

The composer prefaced the published score with a foreword: "In the first place, the form of the music means I have had to take the liberty of shortening or rearranging some of A. N. Pleshcheev's poems. I beg the respected poet to forgive this, but very few of his excellent pieces have been distorted. Secondly, some of the pieces. e.g. No. 5 or No. 8 may be performed by a children's chorus in unison".

The text was abridged in five of the pieces: Granny and Grandson (No. 1), Little Bird (No. 2), Lullaby in a Storm (No. 10); Winter (No. 12) and Spring Song (No. 13). The most significant cuts were in Nos. 1 and 12. Besides these Tchaikovsky introduced significant alterations to the texts in the song Granny and Grandson (No. 1), and lesser changes Little Bird (No. 2), On the Bank (No. 6), The Cuckoo (No. 8), Winter (No. 12), Spring Song (No. 13) and The Swallow (No. 15).

The song Legend (No. 5) was orchestrated by Tchaikovsky on 2/14 April 1884 (according to the date on the manuscript), at the request of Dmitrii Usatov, an artist at the Bol’shoi Theatre in Moscow: "For the last three days I have been studying your songs for children, and the other day I saw a bill for a concert at the Bol’shoi that I am to perform your Legend... Please excuse this impertinent request I make to you (and also to Al’tani): could you find the time to orchestrate this Legend a semitone higher, in F minor?" [15]. Tchaikovsky complied with the artist’s request [16], and the full score and parts were published by Petr Jurgenson in February 1892.

Legend (No. 5) was also arranged by the author for full chorus a cappella. This arrangement was made in January 1889, evidently at the request of Fedor Bekker, who asked Tchaikovsky to write two secular choruses for a concert of the Imperial Theatre Chorus. For this event the composer wrote the chorus The Nightingale and made an arrangement for mixed chorus of the children's song Legend. The choral score and parts were published by Petr Jurgenson in December 1889 or January 1890 [17].

Early in 1891 the choral parts of Legend were published in Hamburg by Daniel Rahter. Tchaikovsky himself supplied the German text for this edition and corrected the proofs [18].

The chorus was performed for the first time on 19/31 March 1889 at a secular choral concert by the Saint Petersburg Imperial Opera, conducted by Fedor Bekker.

The song Autumn (No. 14) was orchestrated by Sergei Taneev in 1891, and published by Petr Jurgenson in 1892.

Sixteen Songs for Children

Шестнадцать песен для детей

No. 1. Granny and Grandson (Бабушка и внучек )