[Tchaikovsky] Pick up famous and representative pieces!
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a towering composer who represents Romantic-era Russia.
From ballet music such as Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty to works like the Piano Concerto No.
1 and several symphonies, he created numerous masterpieces that continue to be loved to this day.
Tchaikovsky’s music conveys richly colored, delicate melodies and a brilliant, dramatic musicality.
In this article, we introduce Tchaikovsky’s celebrated and representative works.
We’ve selected pieces ranging from famous tunes to lesser-known gems worthy of being called masterpieces—be sure to check them out!
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[Tchaikovsky] A Selection of Famous and Representative Works (21–30)
“The Seasons” – 12 Characteristic Pieces, Op. 37b-6: June ‘Barcarolle’Pyotr Tchaikovsky
The Seasons is a set of piano pieces that depicts the changing year in Russia.
The Barcarolle for June, with its melancholic melody that deeply touches the heart, is one of the most famous among the twelve pieces.
It begins with a quiet, wistful atmosphere, shifts in the middle section to a more cheerful mood as if rocking in a gondola, and then returns to a darker tone.
Because the music is written in multiple overlapping voices, it’s important to clearly distinguish the melody from the accompaniment.
Also, the pedal is essential for this piece.
Practice your pedaling thoroughly so you can connect the sounds smoothly without causing muddiness.
Overture “1812”Pyotr Tchaikovsky
It is the Overture 1812 composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
Written in 1880 as a concert overture, its title “1812” refers to the year of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.
In contrast to the brilliant, light strings and woodwinds, the powerful, robust unisons and harmonies of the trumpets that appear throughout make this a strikingly impressive work.
[Tchaikovsky] A selection of famous and representative works (31–40)
Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36Pyotr Tchaikovsky
It begins with a tense fanfare and surges into a weighty second and third movement.
In the final fourth movement, the Russian folk song “The Birch Tree in the Field” is repeated while modulating, after which the opening fanfare from the first movement resounds triumphantly once more.
A piece that powerfully captivates the listener to the very end.
Six Pieces: “Nocturnes”Pyotr Tchaikovsky
It is an introspective piece, fitting for the stillness of night, included in the album “Six Pieces, Op.
19.” The work envelops the listener in a warm yet sentimental atmosphere, as if overhearing the composer’s personal confession.
Completed in the autumn of 1873, it is striking for the bell-like sonorities—reminiscent of ballet music—that accent the tear-inducing, beautiful melody.
There is also an arrangement for cello and small orchestra, offering a different, deeper emotional resonance from the original.
A masterpiece perfect for a night of quietly dwelling in sorrow and conversing with your own heart.
Dumka in C minor, Op. 59Pyotr Tchaikovsky
This is a piano work by Pyotr Tchaikovsky that conjures up the vast Russian countryside.
Composed in February 1886, it adopts a form whose title in Ukrainian means “a novel in thoughts.” It opens quietly with a deeply plaintive melody, but in the middle section it suddenly turns passionate, like a folk dance, with emotions bursting forth.
In the end, however, it returns to silence and closes with a sound even more resigned than at the opening.
Interweaving sorrow with festive joy, this piece is one to hear when you want to linger in a sentimental mood while also savoring a dramatic unfolding.
Fantasy Overture “Romeo and Juliet”Pyotr Tchaikovsky
A concert overture said to have been composed at the recommendation of Balakirev, one of the Russian Five.
It features a fierce tone that seems to depict the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, a sweet melody portraying the love of Romeo and Juliet, and a dramatic expression of the two being driven toward their deaths.
Tchaikovsky: Polonaise from the opera Eugene Onegin, Op. 24Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Polonaise, Op.
24 from the opera Eugene Onegin by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, born in 1840.
Tchaikovsky wrote a total of ten operas, and this is the one performed most frequently among them.