Slavic March

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The Slavonic March in B flat minor op.31 by the Russian composer Peter I. Tchaikovsky , also known as the Serbian-Russian March , is a programmatic concert march for orchestras with the backdrop of the Serbian-Turkish war from 1876 to 1878.

background

The work was written during the last years of the war of independence of the Serbs , whose efforts were supported by Russia to fight against the Ottoman occupation. The Serbs oppressed by the Turks gained strong sympathy in Russia, which led from humanitarian aid to Russia's entry into the war on the side of the Serbs in 1877. The success of the war led to the international recognition of the Principality of Serbia in Berlin in 1878 . Tchaikovsky, who like many Russians sympathized with the Serbs, described the work in the autograph and in his correspondence prior to publication as his “Serbian-Russian march”. In the first edition, the work was given the title Slavonic March , which it has kept since then.

The composition

The Slavonic March describes the course of the war in musical form. It is divided into four sections. The first section discusses the suppression of the Serb people during the Ottoman occupation, the two with the melodies Serb folk songs you bright sun, not seem (all) of the same brightness (jarko Sunce, ne sijaš jednako / Сунце јарко, не сијаш једнако) and Happy attracts the Serb is paraphrased as the soldiers (Rado ide Srbin u vojnike / Радо иде Србин у војнике), who are first presented in the violas and bassoons and then expanded several times into the orchestra -ortissimo. In the second section, with a militarily graceful clarinet theme , which is immediately repeated with joy by the entire orchestra, the Russian liberation army is announced that would like to take on the common cause. The tsar's hymn Bosche, Zarja chrani! by Alexei Fjodorowitsch Lwow can already be heard confident of victory in the tuba part . In the third section, which represents the request of the Serbian population for help, the opening theme unexpectedly breaks in again in fortissimo. In the fourth section now, however, the guide drums and clarinets bring the final victory of the Russians, the Czar theme is heard with full force in the deep tray and the tsarist Pracht is again through the fanfare celebrated and freudentaumelnde final bars.

The performance of the march is about 10 minutes.

occupation

2 piccolo flutes , 2 flutes , 2 oboes , 2 clarinets (B-flat), 2 bassoons - 4 horns (F), 2 cornets (B- flat ), 2 trumpets (B-flat), 3 trombones , tuba - timpani , snare drum , cymbals , bass drum , Tamtam - 1st and 2nd violins , violas , cellos , double basses

premiere

The march was created in September 1876 as a commission from the Russian Music Society for a benefit concert for the benefit of the Red Cross . The world premiere on November 5th jul. / November 17, 1876 greg. in Moscow under the direction of Nikolai Rubinstein was a great success, and the piece had to be repeated immediately.

Edits

The march is a transcription for piano two hands Tchaikovsky himself in front of the well was still in 1876 and 1879 appeared in print. There are also arrangements for piano four hands by Aleksandra Ivanovna Batalina, for two pianos eight hands by Eduard Langer and for wind orchestra by Albert Kleinecke.

Since the playing of the tsar's anthem was forbidden during the Soviet Union , a melody by Michail Glinka was added as a substitute for performances of the Slavonic March .

Recordings

The Slavonic March has already been recorded several times on vinyl or on CD , including by

literature

  • Polina Vajdman, Ljudmila Korabel'nikova, Valentina Rubcova: Thematic and Bibliographical Catalog of PITchaikovsky's (PIČajkovskij's) Works. Jurgenson, Moscow 2006, ISBN 5-9720-0001-6 , pp. 362-364.
  • Bernd Wiechert in "I think that would be something for your talent"; P. 6; 1999 Ger. Grammophon GmbH; Hamburg

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ James Reel: Slavonic March, for orchestra, Op. 31 at Allmusic (English)