Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky (Arensky)

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Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a, a piece for string orchestra by Anton Arensky, started out as the slow movement of his String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35, for the unusual scoring of violin, viola, and 2 cellos. It was written in 1894, the year after the death of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, in a tribute to that composer. [1] It is based on the theme from the song " Legend ", the fifth of Tchaikovsky's Sixteen Children's Songs, Op. 54. [2]

Contents

Tchaikovsky's song was originally set to a Russian translation by Aleksey Pleshcheyev of a poem in English called "Roses and Thorns" by the American poet Richard Henry Stoddard. [3] [4]

At the first performance of the quartet, the slow movement was so well received that Arensky soon arranged it as a separate piece for string orchestra, Op. 35a, in which form it has remained among the most popular of all Arensky's works. [1] [3]

Structure

After Tchaikovsky's theme is heard, the piece has seven Variations followed by a Coda, set out as follows (mostly in the key of E minor): [1]

See also

References