Tchaikovsky's Complete Songs (Hardcover)

by Richard D. Sylvester (Author)

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.

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

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253340411
• ISBN-13: 978-0253340412
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,699,769 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

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, June 4, 2002

By A Customer

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!