Alexander Borodin (1833 – 1887)
In the Steppes of Central Asia
Imagine if you will, a stage set depicting the march of Russian troops across the steppes (plains) of Central Asia, but with the actors remaining motionless in the style of a painting. Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia was commissioned by Alexander II of Russia for just such a performance, a “tableau vivant”, to celebrate his Silver Jubilee in 1880. The event was called off after an assassination attempt, the third of five, on the unfortunate host Czar Alexander.
Orchestral audiences can be grateful to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who as conductor of the Russian Opera, resurrected the piece for concert performance. It has since become a staple of the orchestral repertoire.
In the Steppes is a musical illustration of Czar Alexander’s expansion of the Russian empire into Central Asia, written with a decidedly Russian bias on the matter. The Russian troops are represented by a peaceful folk melody, first introduced by the clarinet and horn. This contrasts vividly with the exotic depiction of the Central Asians, introduced by the English horn. Added into this mix we hear the progress of the caravan travelling across the steppes with pizzicato octaves in the strings.
The composer describes the scene in notes to the score.
In the silence of the monotonous steppes of Central Asia is heard the unfamiliar sound of a peaceful Russian song. From the distance we hear the approach of horses and camels and the bizarre and melancholy notes of an oriental melody. A caravan approaches, escorted by Russian soldiers, and continues safely on its way through the immense desert. It disappears slowly. The notes of the Russian and Asiatic melodies join in a common harmony, which dies away as the caravan disappears in the distance.
Not such a peaceful end for Czar Alexander II who commissioned the piece. The fifth attempt on his life was, unfortunately, successful.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893)
Violin Concerto
The program notes for the final concert of our last season, themed Indomitable Music: Overcoming the Obstacles, touched on how rumours of Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality influenced public perception of his musical work. Indeed stereotypes continued to influence perceptions well into the twentieth century. His music has become universally loved despite this struggle, and one of his most-loved works is the violin concerto.
How appropriate that the concerto was written as Tchaikovsky emerged from one of the most desperate times of his life. Concerned about societal pressures and perceptions of his homosexuality, in 1877 Tchaikovsky made the ultimately disastrous decision to marry. The marriage ended months later, and in a state of depression and after suicide attempts, the composer left his position at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and retreated to Switzerland to recover, and to find comfort in focusing on composition. The violin concerto was the first major work to emerge from this period. Beautifully lyrical yet extremely technically demanding, the concerto was rejected by some leading violinists of the day as being unplayable. In short order it was nevertheless premiered by Adolf Brodsky and the Vienna Philharmonic in 1881.
While one of the most difficult, the violin concerto has become one of the best-loved masterpieces in the repertoire. With this work, Tchaikovsky achieved rare synergy between musical inspiration and innovations in instrumental technique. The result is pure genius.
It is true that the concerto demanded new violin techniques, but not impossible ones. In this regard the concerto was forward looking, ranking among those musical works whose demands initiated new technical abilities and expertise from the performer. Ultimately, as violinists improved, Tchaikovsky’s work has become one of the great showpieces in violin repertoire.
– Marianne Williams Tobias, Indianapolis Symphony
Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor (1851)
Let’s start with the obvious question. Why does the name of this symphony include its date of composition? The answer is embedded into Schumann’s life story. The composer’s “periods” were centred around the type of work he composed as much as around style. As a pianist Schumann’s early works were mostly for piano. When he finally married his beloved Clara in 1840, the composer shifted to song, and indeed that year has become known as Schumann’s “year of song”.
Clara Schumann, herself an accomplished pianist and composer, was a stabilizing influence on Robert, who suffered from mental illness, quite possibly bipolar disorder. Clara championed her husband’s work, and frequently inspired it. She encouraged him to explore larger works, and the early result was his very successful first symphony. Buoyed by this success, Schumann immediately began working on his second symphony in the key of D minor, which premiered in 1841. Not happy with the result, the composer withdrew the work, not returning his attention to it for a decade. The revised work was ultimately published in 1851, moving it in the sequence from second to fourth of his symphonies.
The four movements of the symphony are connected with transitional passages, meaning that it is often described as being an extended one-movement work. The movements are also strongly connected in thematic material. Schumann introduces the melodic figure based on Clara’s name, with the notes F – E – D – C# – D, “Clara’s theme”. Clara’s theme recurs throughout the symphony’s four movements, and the symphony is often thought of as symbolizing the relationship between Robert and Clara Schumann, the greatest musical partnership of the nineteenth century.