Besides his symphonies and concertos, operas and ballets, Tchaikovsky wrote 103 "romances," or songs, which are among his most popular works in Russia. The lyrics to these songs, by poets famous and obscure, have never been studied. All 103 song texts are collected here for the first time, in Russian, with transliterations and translations. The texts are illuminated by commentaries on the songs' historical context and performance histories, an extensive discography of singers and recordings, and a 73-minute CD including performances of 22 songs. For Tchaikovsky specialists, Tchaikovsky's "Complete Songs" provides significant new information. For vocalists and students of music, for the general audience interested in art songs and recordings of great singers, as well as for students of Russian language and literature, it offers a unique window into Russian musical culture. "It's not often that a book really does 'fill a long-felt want', but here is an example, and an outstanding one...Here is a book to enlarge that circle of admirers and to reward them deeply." - Gramophone, September 2002.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Of Tchaikovsky's entire musical output, his collection of 103 romances (songs based on poems) is perhaps the least familiar to Western audiences. With this volume, Sylvester (Russian, emeritus, Colgate Univ.) performs a great service not only for singers interested in delving into this rich repertory but also for lovers of Russian poetry. The songs are discussed in chronological order, beginning with "My Genius, My Angel, My Friend," composed in 1857, when Tchaikovsky was 17, and culminating in the "Six Romances of 1893," the year of his death. The texts are presented in three ways: Cyrillic, a transliteration, and an exact (nonsingable) English translation. For each song or group of songs, Sylvester presents informative commentary. The sources are meticulously scrutinized, and a detailed history of Tchaikovsky's relationship, if any, with the poets (e.g., Pushkin, Ivan Surikov, Apollon Maikov) is provided. There is no analysis or even much discussion of the music itself, though the author makes clear his hopes that the present volume will pave the way for such a study. An accompanying audio CD, not heard by the reviewer, contains performances of 22 songs. Recommended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate collections. Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, PA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
" ... this is as user-friendly a guide to Tchaikovsky song as the general reader could wish for... As for ... the CD? Well this captivating collection of 22 songs recorded by Russian artists between 1910 and 1979 is alone worth the cover price."--Classical Music 26 October, 2002 "This splendid cross-displinary publication deserves to be purchased not only by singers, scholars and university libraries, but also by all but the most unenterprising public libraries."--SEER, 81, 1, 2003
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tchaikovsky's songs and so much more,
By A Customer
This review is from: Tchaikovsky's Complete Songs (Hardcover)
This is a marvelous book which works on many levels at once. The way the author has mixed biographical with interpretive and background information on the songs is masterful - exactly because it isn't heavy handed or 'routine' in that the reader never feels he's following a template (such as first paragraph biography, second paragraph, info about song's origins, third paragraph interpretive discussion of music/lyrics/symbolism/emotive quality of song). Instead, all of these are present but in a never routinized blend. Gorgeous writing, a sympathetic portrait of Tchaikovsky as artist and a fascinating tour of a whole era of Russian (and world) high culture. The book portrays a huge international cast of characters, major and minor, that are interacting and influencing and supporting one another, with Tchaikovsky at the center of focus. It's a wonderful book - the kind that doesn't stop revealing its bounties after reading, it's a great reference work and lovely for just dipping into when one needs multi-sensory inspiration. Truly!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
