Pathos, melancholy are themes explored in Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, Romeo & Juliet Overture.Jan 17 '05 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Two great masterpieces -- including Tchaikovsky's final work -- that deal with life, love, and death. Very melancholic, but very beautiful. One of the many joys I had in college -- other than having the opportunity to study journalism, write for the student newspaper, and the chance to participate in the Semester in Spain study abroad program -- was discovering how truly wonderful classical music is. I'm not knocking any of the other musical styles or genres; indeed, I like a variety of styles and artists which range from The Beatles to George Gershwin, with Billy Joel, George Benson, Glenn Miller, and The Platters added to the mix. But no rock group or hip-hop group can really compete with a 120-member symphony orchestra for raw, powerful emotional impact that comes more from the heart rather than simple glandular instincts. Of all my non-journalism professors at what is now called Miami-Dade College's Kendall Campus, no other influenced my tastes in music and art than my Humanities and Music Appreciation instructor, Prof. Jay Brown. First in my Humanities class when I was a wide-eyed, wet behind the ears freshman and then later in Music Appreciation, Prof. Brown introduced me to the wonders of classical music, which I was already primed for because I was a fan of John Williams' film scores, most of which are written in a style reminiscent of the 19th Century Romantic era. Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was, of course, one of the Romantic composers we listened to and learned about in both of Prof. Brown's classes, and I was taken by surprise when I heard an excerpt from Symphony No. 6's first movement (see track list below); we were learning how to identify specific instruments of the orchestra, and when the woodwinds were being presented, several measures from the Adagio, Allegro non troppo were included. I don't know why -- maybe my mind was dwelling on some girl I liked but was afraid to ask out -- but when the melancholic "main theme" of the Pathetique's first movement wafted across the classroom, tears welled in my eyes; I was thankful that the room was dimly lit and that everyone's attention was focused on the music, or they would have seen a couple of tears running down my cheeks. There's something wistful and reflective about the first movement, almost foreshadowing Tchaikovsky's tragic end just nine days after the work's premiere on October 28, 1893 -- officially of cholera, but supposedly the great composer committed suicide to avoid a scandal due to a homosexual affair he'd had with a Russian nobleman's nephew. It's never really been confirmed, but the Symphony's somber and reflective nature may have been rooted in Tchaikovsky's inner turmoil. The Pathetique (Tchaikovsky rejected a suggestion to entitle the Sixth "Tragic") is, like Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, a program symphony, i.e., a composition that tells a story or describes abstract concepts (in this case, "life as the ultimate essence") through music. Tchaikovsky's notes, for instance, described the first movement -- which is my favorite section -- as "having as its subject passion, confidence, thirst for activity." The graceful second movement deals with love, the almost 10-minute-long allegro molto vivace reflects "disappointments," while the mournful fourth movement focuses on death and the act of dying. Conductor Marko Munih leads the Ljubljana Radio Symphony Orchestra in a masterful performance of Tchaikovsky's last masterpiece, capturing in its 49 minutes of running time the true "essence of life" with all its joys and sorrows. Better known to casual classical musical listeners is Tchaikovsky's musical interpretation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," the classic tragedy about a pair of "star-cross'd lovers." The version played here by the New Philharmonia Orchestra of London under the baton of maestro Laurence Siegel is actually the third revision of a work which Tchaikovsky began composing in 1869 but wasn't rearranged into its final form until 1880. Here, in the 18-minute long Overture Fantasia, we hear all the passion, the conflict, and the tragedy of Shakespeare's bittersweet tale of two teenagers destined to die because they fall in love despite their families' ongoing feud. Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B-minor Op. 74 "Pathetique" Radio Symphony Orchestra Ljubjlana Marko Munih, Conductor 1. Adagio, Allegro non troppo (18:00) 2. Allegro con grazia (7:55) 3. Allegro molto vivace (9:58) 4. Finale: Adagio lamentoso - Andante (9:58) 5. Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasia (18:08) The New Philharmonia Orchestra London Laurence Siegel, Conductor CD Label: Pentagon Classics PTG 100.011 Year of First Issue: 1992  |
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