DXXV. TCHAIKOVSKY, Pyotr Ilyich (1840-1893)
The 65 years between the Mendelssohn Octet (see Post LXI) and this work seem but the span of but a few years, considering Tchaikovsky's use of timbre and texture with two fewer instruments.
But of course, this is in no way a copy of the Octet, but a severe work for six strings that stands on its own six feet as a masterful and powerful composition.
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Dedicated to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society -- when Tchaikovsky was named an honorary member -- the title reflects his time in Florence, where he had sketched out several of the primary themes of the work.
First movement
The violence of the music is striking. The second cello grinds out the bass line while the first violin plays the melody -- and the other four instruments play 1/8th-notes in a 2-2-2 rhythm:
Dedicated to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society -- when Tchaikovsky was named an honorary member -- the title reflects his time in Florence, where he had sketched out several of the primary themes of the work.
First movement
The violence of the music is striking. The second cello grinds out the bass line while the first violin plays the melody -- and the other four instruments play 1/8th-notes in a 2-2-2 rhythm:
A second theme in the dominant (A Major) is calmer and more elastic:
The two-against-three motif adds rhythmic interest:
The development explodes with variation and rich texture. Phrases are passed back and forth between all six players, as the music continues to gather exciting momentum:
The recap is grittier and louder (fff), with the 2-2-2 accompaniment loaded with double-stops and very rich harmony.
The second -- A Major -- theme returns with variations like this skipping cello part:
Tchaikovsky concludes the movement with a vivace stringendo morphing onto the final bars prestissimo:
Second movement
A short church-like introduction leads to a lovely cantabile melody accompanied by pizzicato triplets:
The music comes to a hushed halt, before this brilliant sul ponticello section:
The initial theme returns in the cello:
Third movement
A very simple Russian-style folk melody is sung out by the viola:
Both celli take on the melody against a quivering 32-note accompaniment:
This amazing section consisting of lot of clever spiccato writing is enhanced by such subtle touches as the viola pizzicato motif ending on a high C-Sharp:
After coming to rest on a B-Flat Major chord -- pizzicato -- there follows a bar of silence. The final bars combine pizz. and arco, ending with a solid 22-note ff pizz. chord!
Fourth movement
A decidedly Russian-tinged folk melody gets the full ensemble treatment; after the first violin introduces it, it is then taken up by the middle four strings:
Fugal treatment:
This is really interesting -- a unison G -- fff to ppp and back -- is dissonantly moved to an A-Flat, as Tchaikovsky moves beat against beat, developing the harmony:
As the movement comes to a close, he repeats the same trick a whole-tone higher, and ends with another bat-out-of-hell vivace:
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