B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.549798

Composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Children,Christmas,Romantic Period,Standards. Score and part. 16 pages. Jmsgu3 #3539173. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549798).

Duration: ca. 2:10. Score: 9 pages. 77 measures in 2/4. Solo part: 2 pages, Piano part: 4 pages. A favorite Christmas selection from the Nutcracker Suite.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of the great composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise, it appeals even to folks who don’t normally listen to serious music. This is probably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes with great emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettable impact.

Education

First of all, He attended classes at the Russian Musical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He also consequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems like Rubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as the Five.

The Five

The Five certainly rejected Western musical influences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. They furthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials.

Western Techniques

More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovsky studied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the European masters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He then introduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained his independence from the Five. Even more, he became the first Russian composer of international stature.

Influences

Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his ballet scoring by Léo Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing. Tchaikovsky’s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies. The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the Pathétique.

Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a

The Nutcracker Suite is a ballet that was performed for the first time in December 1892 in St. Petersburg. To begin with, the original ballet failed to attract a positive reception. However, the ballet suite became probably one of the most popular of all of Tchaikovsky’s works. The ballet suite became even more famous in the 1960s. It is now performed all over the world, particularly during the Christmas season.

B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.549681

Composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Children,Christmas,Romantic Period,Standards. Score and part. 14 pages. Jmsgu3 #3520257. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549681).

Duration: ca. 1:42, 52 measures, Score: 7 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 4 pages. A popular Christmas favorite from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of the great composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise, it appeals even to folks who don’t normally listen to serious music. This is probably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes with great emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettable impact.

Education

First of all, He attended classes at the Russian Musical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He also consequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems like Rubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as the Five.

The Five

The Five certainly rejected Western musical influences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. They furthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials.

Western Techniques

More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovsky studied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the European masters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He then introduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained his independence from the Five. Even more, he became the first Russian composer of international stature.

Influences

Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his ballet scoring by Léo Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing. Tchaikovsky’s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies. The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the Pathétique.

Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a

The Nutcracker Suite is a ballet that was performed for the first time in December 1892 in St. Petersburg. To begin with, the original ballet failed to attract a positive reception. However, the ballet suite became probably one of the most popular of all of Tchaikovsky’s works. The ballet suite became even more famous in the 1960s. It is now performed all over the world, particularly during the Christmas season.

B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.549889

Composed by Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Romantic Period,Standards,Wedding. Score and part. 23 pages. Jmsgu3 #3602813. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549889).

Score: 12 pages, piano part: 6 pages, clarinet part: 4 pages. duration: ca. 5'. This is the famous wedding march from Op. 61 composed in 1842 and commonly performed as a recessional march at the end of a wedding. The piece was originally composed for orchestra then arranged for organ and performed by Mendelssohn himself.

Mendelssohn: Wedding March

Mendelssohn’s Wedding March is so popular that it’s difficult to imagine a wedding without it. It seems like it’s been around for eternity. In any case, it was only 150 years or so ago that the Wedding March came about. It was performed in Potsdam for the first time in 1842, as a piece of Mendelssohn’s music for the Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was first used for a wedding in 1858

Mendelssohn Background

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 –1847) was, by all means, a German mastermind composer, musician and orchestra conductor of the Romantic period. Consequently, Mendelssohn composed in the usual forms of the time - symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music, and chamber music. To summarize, his most famous works include his music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, The Hebrides Overture, his later Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, and his Octet for Strings. His most well-known piano pieces, by and large, are the Songs Without Words. 

Artistic Standing

 Musical tastes change from time to time. Moreover, just such a change occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This plus rampant antisemitism brought a corresponding amount of undue criticism. Fortunately, however, his artistic inventiveness has indeed been critically re-evaluated. As a result, Mendelssohn is once again among the most prevalent composers of the Romantic era.

Early Family Life

Mendelssohn was, in fact, born into a prominent Jewish family. His grandfather was, notably, the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Felix was, in fact, raised without religion. At the age of seven, he was all of a sudden baptized as a Reformed Christian. He was, moreover, a child musical prodigy. Nevertheless, his parents did not attempt to exploit his talent.

Early Adulthood

Mendelssohn was, in general, successful in Germany. He conducted, in particular, a revival of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, specifically with his presentation of the St Matthew Passion in 1829. Felix was truly in demand throughout Europe as a composer, conductor, and soloist. For example, he visited Britain ten times. There, he premiered, namely, many of his major works. His taste in music was. To be sure, inventive and well-crafted yet markedly conservative. This conservatism separated him by all means from more audacious musical colleagues like Liszt, Wagner, and Berlioz. Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatoire which, to clarify, became a defender of this conservative viewpoint.

Mature Adulthood

Schumann notably wrote that Mendelssohn was the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the most brilliant musician, the one who most clearly sees through the contradictions of the age and for the first time reconciles them. This observation points to a couple of features in particular that illustrate Mendelssohn's works and his artistic procedure.

Musical Features

In the first place, his musical style was fixed in his methodical mastery of the style of preceding masters. This being said, he certainly recognized and even developed early romanticism from the music of Beethoven and Weber. Secondly, it indicates that Mendelssohn sought to strengthen his inherited musical legacy rather than to exchange it with new forms and styles or replace it with exotic orchestration. Consequently, he diverged his contemporaries in the romantic period, such as Wagner, Berlioz, and Liszt. Mendelssohn revered Liszt's virtuos.

E-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.550918

Composed by J. S. Bach - Gounod. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Christmas,Easter,Standards. Score and part. 12 pages. Jmsgu3 #4888287. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.550918).

This arrangement features the controversial Schwencke measure (ms. 27) that was originally introduced in 1783 by Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke. The convenient 1st & 2nd endings provide an option for extended performance. Duration with repeat - 4:50. Score: 7 pages. Solo part: 1 page, piano part: 4 pages. Based on Prelude #1 in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1. Well suited for church meditations or school programs or recital encores. 

Ave Maria

Ave Maria is a Catholic prayer that consequently asks for the mother of Jesus (Mary) to intercede. Charles Gounod composed a famous version of the Ave Maria. He was a French Romantic composer who overlaid a new melody on an existing Bach chord progression. The progression is from Bach’s Prelude No. 1 from Well-Tempered Clavier I. This version, as well as Schubert’s version, have become essential items at weddings, masses, and funerals.

Bach Overview

First of all, Johann Sebastian Bach is maybe the greatest composer in music history. Certainly, he was prolific. As a result, everyone has heard of his works. Furthermore, these works number well over a thousand. It seems like people are probably most familiar with instrumental works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, and the Goldberg Variations. But, similarly famous are such noteworthy works as the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Musical Offering, and the Art of Fugue. Seems like his most famous vocal works include the most noteworthy Mass in B Minor. Also, most noteworthy, though, are the St. John Passion, and certainly the Christmas Oratorio.

 History

Bach came from a long line of musicians and above all, composers. Consequently, he, first of all, pursued a career as a church organist. So as a result, he gained employment in various Protestant churches in Germany. For a while, he worked as a court musician in Weimar and Köthen. Here he probably developed his organ style and likewise his chamber music style. Eventually, he, therefore, gained an appointment as Cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Here he worked until difficulties with his employer ultimately drove him away. The King of Poland finally appointed him as a court composer.

 Style

It seems like Bach created an engaging new international style. He synthesized elements of the most noteworthy European music ideas into his new style. Even more, this new style was probably his synthesis of European musical rhythm and form. Furthermore, he demonstrated a complete mastery of counterpoint and motivic development. His sense of harmonic organization probably propelled him to the top.

Revival              

Mendelssohn conducted a Bach revival in the nineteenth century. His effort probably helped to re-familiarize the public with the magnitude of Bach’s works. During this period, scholars published many noteworthy Bach biographies. Moreover, Wolfgang Schmieder published the BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis). As a result, this is now the official catalog of his entire artistic output. The BWV number allows us to locate a work in the catalog. Sometimes scholars will simply use an S (Schmieder) as an abbreviation for BWV.

 Voyager

NASA launched two Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Onboard are phonograph records with sounds, music, and images of life on Earth. The purpose of the launch was to inform intelligent extraterrestrial life forms about conditions on Earth. The music on the disc is varied. There is Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky among others. However, because Bach is so important in our music history, it contains three times more Bach than all the others combined.

B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1418182

By Joe Hisaishi. By Jou Hisaishi. Arranged by Glauco Fernandes. Chamber,Film/TV. Score and part. 5 pages. Glauco Fernandes #999736. Published by Glauco Fernandes (A0.1418182).

Discover the captivating beauty of Ask Me Why (Mother's Message), the enchanting soundtrack from Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and The Heron, an animated masterpiece that captured the hearts of the world and won the Oscar for Best Animation in 2024. Composed by the renowned Joe Hisaishi, this piece encapsulates the magic, mystery, and emotion that permeate the film, offering an auditory experience as profound as the narrative itself.

Our score features an exclusive duet arrangement, skillfully adapted to be accessible to musicians of various skill levels, from beginners to experienced professionals. This arrangement has been carefully crafted to maintain the integrity and spirit of Hisaishi's original composition, allowing musicians of all ages and abilities to share the joy of bringing this moving piece to life.

Ideal for ensemble performances, recitals, or even personal practice, this arrangement not only enriches the repertoire of students and educators but also provides professional musicians with a charming and easy-to-prepare piece to add to their event repertoire. It's a perfect way to captivate your audience, whether in an educational setting or on a larger stage.

Furthermore, Ask Me Why (Mother's Message) serves as an excellent pedagogical tool, encouraging musicians to explore themes of musical storytelling, emotional expression, and instrumental technique, all while enjoying the opportunity to connect with a contemporary piece of music that is already considered a classic.

Don't miss the chance to dive into the lyrical and emotional universe of The Boy and The Heron through this exclusive duet arrangement. Whether you're an educator looking to inspire your students, a student seeking to expand your repertoire, or a professional in search of a memorable piece for your performances, Ask Me Why (Mother's Message) promises to touch hearts and awaken imaginations.

Tags: Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and The Heron, Oscar 2024, Joe Hisaishi, chamber music, easy sheet music, music education, professional arrangement, animated music, instrumental practice, event repertoire, musical storytelling, emotional expression, Piano.

B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1418181

By Joe Hisaishi. By Jou Hisaishi. Arranged by Glauco Fernandes. Chamber,Film/TV. Score and part. 5 pages. Glauco Fernandes #999735. Published by Glauco Fernandes (A0.1418181).

Discover the captivating beauty of Ask Me Why (Mother's Message), the enchanting soundtrack from Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and The Heron, an animated masterpiece that captured the hearts of the world and won the Oscar for Best Animation in 2024. Composed by the renowned Joe Hisaishi, this piece encapsulates the magic, mystery, and emotion that permeate the film, offering an auditory experience as profound as the narrative itself.

Our score features an exclusive duet arrangement, skillfully adapted to be accessible to musicians of various skill levels, from beginners to experienced professionals. This arrangement has been carefully crafted to maintain the integrity and spirit of Hisaishi's original composition, allowing musicians of all ages and abilities to share the joy of bringing this moving piece to life.

Ideal for ensemble performances, recitals, or even personal practice, this arrangement not only enriches the repertoire of students and educators but also provides professional musicians with a charming and easy-to-prepare piece to add to their event repertoire. It's a perfect way to captivate your audience, whether in an educational setting or on a larger stage.

Furthermore, Ask Me Why (Mother's Message) serves as an excellent pedagogical tool, encouraging musicians to explore themes of musical storytelling, emotional expression, and instrumental technique, all while enjoying the opportunity to connect with a contemporary piece of music that is already considered a classic.

Don't miss the chance to dive into the lyrical and emotional universe of The Boy and The Heron through this exclusive duet arrangement. Whether you're an educator looking to inspire your students, a student seeking to expand your repertoire, or a professional in search of a memorable piece for your performances, Ask Me Why (Mother's Message) promises to touch hearts and awaken imaginations.

Tags: Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and The Heron, Oscar 2024, Joe Hisaishi, chamber music, easy sheet music, music education, professional arrangement, animated music, instrumental practice, event repertoire, musical storytelling, emotional expression, Piano.

B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.549444

Composed by Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Instructional,Romantic Period,Sacred,Standards. Score and part. 15 pages. Jmsgu3 #3494745. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549444).

Score: 10 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 3 pages. Duration: 4:25. Not difficult, but requires sensitivity & dynamic control. Suitable for recitals, church meditations, or school programs.

School Years

First of all, Sullivan attended music school at the Royal Academy of Music. Because Sullivan was so talented, the Academy awarded him the Mendelssohn Scholarship for two years in a row. He, therefore, studied with John Goss, who studied with Thomas Atwood, who in turn studied with Mozart. Sullivan similarly studied the piano at the Academy with Arthur O’Leary.

Study Abroad

During his first year, he also earned money by singing solos in the Chapel Royal. At the end of his second year, the Academy consequently continued his scholarship and sent him to study at the Leipzig Conservatoire. He certainly studied composition, and likewise counterpoint and piano. Hence, during his final year in Leipzig, Sullivan finally completed his graduation composition project: Incidental Music for Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Association with Gilbert

It seems like Sullivan built the bulk of his composing career largely in the 1860s. As a result, he became famous for his incidental music for the Tempest and his Irish Symphony. He, therefore, began collaborating with the poet W. S. Gilbert in the 1870s. Rather than focus on serious opera, Gilbert and Sullivan, in contrast, concentrated on comic operas such as H. M. S. Pinafore, the Pirates of Penzance, and the Mikado. Therefore, certainly as a result of his education and experience, Sullivan composed a total of 24 operas, 11 symphonic works, and 10 choral pieces. Even more, he wrote a large number of noteworthy hymns such as Onward Christian Soldiers.

Lost Chord

The general style of his music is maybe similar to Mendelssohn, Schumann, and perhaps Liszt. It seems like Sullivan was fond of writing distinct melodies for each character in his operettas. His melodies combine together as the characters did. Furthermore, he was a master orchestrator, and therefore played the flute, clarinet, trumpet, and trombone fluently.

The Lost Chord

Sullivan wrote his most noteworthy song the Lost Chord in 1877. As a result, it was a great success and was certainly performed all over the world by a variety of singers such as Enrico Caruso. Because Sullivan was the most famous composer in England, the Lost Chord became the most famous of all British or American songs of the 1870s and 1890s. Consequently, in 1888 Thomas Edison recorded The Lost Chord for the phonograph. It was one of the first songs ever recorded. Furthermore, Queen Victoria knighted Sullivan in 1883.

 

B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.549229

Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Baroque,Easter,Standards,Wedding. Score and part. 9 pages. Jmsgu3 #3468706. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549229).

J. S. Bach BWV 508. 

Bist du bei mir

Bach adapted this aria from a lost Stölzel opera called Diomedes. He changed the original orchestral instrumentation to soprano, strings, and continuo.  He also modified the voice-leading making it sound more like a Bach composition. The work appears as BWV 508 No. 25 in the Anna Magdalena Notebook No. 2.  

Source

Only a few remnants of the original opera have survived. Historians speculate that Anna Magdalena got the song from the Leipzig Opera after the bankruptcy of 1720. Chances are good, though, that the tune was a favorite of everyone in Leipzig at the time.  

Lyrics

When thou art near, I go with joy
To death and to my rest.
O how joyous would my end be,
If your fair hands
            Would close my faithful eyes. - Unknown

Bach Overview

First of all, Johann Sebastian Bach is maybe the greatest composer in music history. Certainly, he was prolific. As a result, everyone has heard of his works. Furthermore, these works number well over a thousand. It seems like people are probably most familiar with instrumental works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, and the Goldberg Variations. But, similarly famous are such noteworthy works as the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Musical Offering, and certainly the Art of Fugue. Seems like his most famous vocal works include the most noteworthy Mass in B Minor. Also, most noteworthy are the St. John Passion, and indeed the Christmas Oratorio.

 History

Bach came from a long line of musicians and above all, composers. Consequently, he, first of all, pursued a career as a church organist. So as a result, he gained employment in various Protestant churches in Germany. For a while, he worked as a court musician in Weimar and Köthen. Here he probably developed his organ style and likewise his chamber music style. Eventually, he therefore, gained an appointment as Cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Here he worked until difficulties with his employer ultimately drove him away. The King of Poland finally appointed him as court composer.

 Style

It seems like Bach created a fascinating new international style. He synthesized elements of the most noteworthy European music ideas into his new style. Even more, this new style was probably his synthesis of European musical rhythm and form. Furthermore, he demonstrated a complete mastery of counterpoint and motivic development. His sense of harmonic organization probably propelled him to the top.

Revival               

Mendelssohn conducted a Bach revival in the nineteenth century. His effort probably helped to re-familiarize the public with the magnitude of Bach’s works. During this period, scholars published many noteworthy Bach biographies. Moreover, Wolfgang Schmieder published the BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis). As a result, this is now the official catalog of his entire artistic output. The BWV number allows us to locate a work in the catalog. Sometimes scholars will simply use an S (Schmieder) as an abbreviation for BWV.

 Voyager

NASA launched two Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Onboard are phonograph records with sounds, music, and images of life on Earth. The purpose of the launch was to inform intelligent extraterrestrial life forms about conditions on Earth. The music on the disc is varied. There is Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky among others. However, because Bach is so important in our music history, it contains three times more Bach than all the others combined.

Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.550925

Composed by J. S. Bach - Gounod. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Christmas,Easter,Standards. Score and part. 7 pages. Jmsgu3 #4888331. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.550925).

This arrangement features the controversial Schwencke measure (ms. 27) that was originally introduced in 1783 by Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke. The convenient 1st & 2nd endings provide an option for extended performance. Duration with repeat - 4:50. Score: 7 pages. Solo part: 1 page, piano part: 4 pages. Based on Prelude #1 in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1. Well suited for church meditations or school programs or recital encores. 

Ave Maria

Ave Maria is a Catholic prayer that consequently asks for the mother of Jesus (Mary) to intercede. Charles Gounod composed a famous version of the Ave Maria. He was a French Romantic composer who overlaid a new melody on an existing Bach chord progression. The progression is from Bach’s Prelude No. 1 from Well-Tempered Clavier I. This version, as well as Schubert’s version, have become essential items at weddings, masses, and funerals.

Bach Overview

First of all, Johann Sebastian Bach is maybe the greatest composer in music history. Certainly, he was prolific. As a result, everyone has heard of his works. Furthermore, these works number well over a thousand. It seems like people are probably most familiar with instrumental works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, and the Goldberg Variations. But, similarly famous are such noteworthy works as the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Musical Offering, and the Art of Fugue. Seems like his most famous vocal works include the most noteworthy Mass in B Minor. Also, most noteworthy, though, are the St. John Passion, and certainly the Christmas Oratorio.

 History

Bach came from a long line of musicians and above all, composers. Consequently, he, first of all, pursued a career as a church organist. So as a result, he gained employment in various Protestant churches in Germany. For a while, he worked as a court musician in Weimar and Köthen. Here he probably developed his organ style and likewise his chamber music style. Eventually, he, therefore, gained an appointment as Cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Here he worked until difficulties with his employer ultimately drove him away. The King of Poland finally appointed him as a court composer.

 Style

It seems like Bach created an engaging new international style. He synthesized elements of the most noteworthy European music ideas into his new style. Even more, this new style was probably his synthesis of European musical rhythm and form. Furthermore, he demonstrated a complete mastery of counterpoint and motivic development. His sense of harmonic organization probably propelled him to the top.

Revival              

Mendelssohn conducted a Bach revival in the nineteenth century. His effort probably helped to re-familiarize the public with the magnitude of Bach’s works. During this period, scholars published many noteworthy Bach biographies. Moreover, Wolfgang Schmieder published the BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis). As a result, this is now the official catalog of his entire artistic output. The BWV number allows us to locate a work in the catalog. Sometimes scholars will simply use an S (Schmieder) as an abbreviation for BWV.

 

B-Flat Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.549749

Composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Children,Christmas,Romantic Period,Standards. Score and part. 17 pages. Jmsgu3 #3532679. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549749).

Duration: ca. 3:15 Score: 10 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 4 pages. Tchaikovsky paints a very mysterious mood in this favorite masterpiece from the Nutcracker Suite. It is also a Christmas favorite.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of the great composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise, it appeals even to folks who don’t normally listen to serious music. This is probably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes with great emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettable impact.

Education

First of all, He attended classes at the Russian Musical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He also consequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems like Rubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as the Five.

The Five

The Five certainly rejected Western musical influences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. They furthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials.

Western Techniques

More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovsky studied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the European masters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He then introduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained his independence from the Five. Even more, he became the first Russian composer of international stature.

Influences

Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his ballet scoring by Léo Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing. Tchaikovsky’s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies. The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the Pathétique.

Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a

The Nutcracker Suite is a ballet that was performed for the first time in December 1892 in St. Petersburg. To begin with, the original ballet failed to attract a positive reception. However, the ballet suite became probably one of the most popular of all of Tchaikovsky’s works. The ballet suite became even more famous in the 1960s. It is now performed all over the world, particularly during the Christmas season.