Tchaikovsky and Grieg

Tchaikovsky

Dumka, Op 59
The opening of this movement combines several unique styles that I did not expect to encounter in a piano work by Tchaikovsky, being that it sounds like a folksy Russian recitative. I usually do not expect Russian melodies in a Tchaikovsky work, due to his Neapolitan nature. The somber sections are striking in their use of modal harmonies. After getting so use to hearing pieces almost exclusively in harmonic minor these harmonies seem to explore emotions upon listening that have not been accessed as regularly. The moderato con fuoco section sounds a great deal like a Mussorgsky work to me. The piece ends as it began, giving the work a cyclical feel, almost like a lonely observer exploring the past only to end up right where he left himself.

The Seasons, Op. 37b

I. January: By the Fireside
It seems immediately evident that Tchaikovsky did not intend this set to be relient on musical imagery. I believe that Tchaikovsky intended to tell stories rather than paint pictures. I think that the music here is more about describing feelings and characters, giving the listener a feeling as if they are emotionally present but visually present.

II. February: Carnival
Each one of these pieces feels connected tonally. This is probably the first time I have heard carnival music in a 2/4 context rather than in ¾. The music seems to be nothing but jubilant, almost as though you were at the carnival as a child rather than an adult.

III. March: Song of the Lark
The music is slow moving, making this lark story a sad one. I question if the swifter movements are represantative of the Lark’s movements or if they display the Larks call. This piece is drastically different from “the Lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams. I wish I could see and hear a lark for myself to get a better idea of the music based upon it.

IV. April: Snowbell
There are definitely intervals in here that are bell-like to me. Grasping ideas about what snow would sound like is quite difficult.

V. May: May Nights
In this piece Tchaikovsky seems to use rolled chords for the portrayal of starlit skies. The use of pedalled tones increases the feeling of night air.

XI. November: Troika
I don’t have much to say about this piece… to be honest it’s a bit too happy-sounding for my tastes. It sounds a little bit like a cowboy song to me. The use of the sixteenth-note figure at the end is interestingly harmonically to me in the way that it combines the folksy melody with the sounds of chromatic swirling.

XII. December: Christmas
The use of December as a waltz is interesting to me. I wonder what Tchaikovski was thinking in terms of musical portrayal with a winter month. To me it does not really sound as though his winter was in a place where it snowed frequently.


Grieg

Lyric Pieces, Op. 43

No. 1. Schmetterling (Butterfly)
The use of chromatic scales in swift sweeping motions is used to evoke the image of a butterflies wings fluttering. Works like this seem to me to be a bridge between programmatic music and impressionist music.

No. 2. Einsamer Wanderer (Solitary Traveller)
I feel convinced that the melody being unison between the bass and soprano is a musical manifestation of two ideas: solitude and separation. The use of 6/8 represents the walking of a “traveler”.

No. 3. In der Heimat (In My Native Country)
This piece evokes images of both the pastoral and the innocent, as well as elements of nationalism. Grieg seems to be looking at his country through innocent and silently proud eyes.

No. 4. Voglein (Little Bird)
This piece reminds me of works by Ravel and Messiaen. These composers must have been aware of Grieg’s use of bird sounds in music before they added their interpretations of it. I am surprised that it took up until this point for any musicians to consider imitating natures natural singers.

No. 5. Erotik (Eroticon)
I’m not sure if this title means what I think it means… but it is obviously a love song. The mixture of beautiful harmonies with harsh and piercing tones seems to embody this concept of romance in a more accurate way than many of the early composers of this type of piece.

No. 6. An den Fruhling (To the Spring)
This is probably the first piece I’ve heard that uses chords to represent water rather than scales and arpeggios. I like this rendition of musical imagery because it clearly separates the ideas of flowing water from rising water, or even splashing water.

Lyric Pieces, Op. 54

No. 1. Gjaetergut (Sheperds boy)
I would be interested to know the story behind this piece, seeing as how this sheperds boy has an extremely sorrowful tale. Grieg’s use of the darker qualities of the piano are striking. I am already seeing a great deal more innovation in the theory behind this music: with examples of heavy chromaticism, counterpoint and polyrhythms.

No. 2. Gangar (Norwegian March)
This is a very enjoyable piece to listen to. The march seems to be symbolized by the non-lyrical bass and tenor, while the soprano begins with a song melody. Grieg’s use of folk melodies is refreshing to me, and his manner of never seeming complicated for complexities sake.

No. 3. Troldtog (March of the Trolls)
I was very excited to see a piece about trolls, not that it is that unexpected from a norwegian composer. This piece is similar in some ways to “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, however, in it’s lyrical section it proves to contain a great deal of emotional debth, giving this piece its own identity.

No. 4. Notturno
This is a wonderful lyrical work. In many ways he shows a similarity towards Chopin here, but many of his harmonies lean heavily towards those of the impressionist composers. This combination of tonalities lends an eerie quality to this work in ways that Chopin’s tonal scheme never could. There are also times when the work reminds me of nightime jazz music.

No. 5. Scherzo
In this scherzo we receive a great deal of mischief that we associate with the composers fantasy-based works. The slow section shows another great use of folk-like melodies and rhythms, this time reminding me of american folk music, such as the songs of Copeland. The exchange between hands in the fast sections seems as though it would be quite difficult to coordinate.

No. 6. Klokkeklang (Bell Ringing)
This piece may be one of the most isolated uses of fifths I have ever seen. It is usually known that in a piece about bells there will be either fifths or fourths, however, this is the first time I have seen them used almost exclusively. The music is nice, though not quite on the level of Liszt, Ravel or Rachmaninoff in terms of bell-sound usage.


Sonata ,Op 7

I Allegro moderato
Immediately at the start I am reminded of Chopins prelude in D minor. The theme begins with a simple arpeggiated minor triad. It seems that Grieg considered his use as the sonata as being one of traditionally influenced style. The left hand parts are usually extremely similar to the left hand writing of Beethoven. His use of folk melodies is existent, but highly subdued from the lyrical works. His use of technique is impressive, while all the time staying conventional. The only other striking feature of this movement is its short length, which is definitely not in the style of Beethoven.

II Andante molto
This andante movement is incredibly beautiful. Like many of Grieg’s compositions it proves to evoke an atmosphere or an image behind the music. A trait of this composition I find interesting is the manner in which Grieg alters the accompaniment or texture almost every phrase. In this usage he exhibits a skill similar to Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, and Chopi n. All these composers were able to fluidly combine texture changes to enhance the movement and mood of the music. Composers who did not seem to exhibit this skill, in my opinion, are Schumann, Schubert and Scriabin. Not to say that they are lesser in skill, just that they would typically find an accompaniment and keep it going for long periods of time, sort of a one theme one accompaniment kind of idea.

III Alle menuetto
Grieg’s traditional use of sonata form is evident in this movement once more. The movement is expectadly in E minor, the original key. He also obeys convention by using a minuet with a B section in a major key. Grieg lends originality to this form by molding an extremely somber character from the dance, almost seeming like a dance of the dead.

IV Finale
The final movement definitely sounds like it should be the last movement of a sonata. His B section is most interesting in the way that the main theme keeps mischievously appearing beneath the second theme. I find his use of scales to be quite similar to the Pathetique sonata of Beethoven. I notice