22-23 Program Book - Flipbook - Page 26
Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 (1876)
PYOTR ILYCH TCHAIKOVSKY
(May 7, 1840-November 6, 1893)
CLASSICAL SERIES: MOZART AND TCHAIKOVSKY
The 1870s was an important decade for Tchaikovsky. He found his footing
as a composer and the result was an outpouring of music that included
operas, symphonies, ballets, major piano works, and songs. Tchaikovsky’s
Variations are a part of this surge in attention and momentum for his
compositional career, appearing after his Third Symphony and Swan Lake
but before his Fourth Symphony and opera Eugene Onegin.
26
The “rococo” attribution is not meant as a reference to the 18th-century
style but is used more in its generic sense of elegant ornaments and
gestures, easily transferred to variations. It is also true, however, that
Mozart was Tchaikovsky’s musical idol from a very early age, so it is
possible that Tchaikovsky was inspired by his hero for this work. The piece
was written for German cellist Wilhelm Fitzhagen, a friend and colleague
at the Moscow Conservatory, who had participated in premieres of several
of Tchaikovsky’s chamber works. The variations were completed in 1876,
but not premiered until November 1877, with Fitzhagen as soloist and
Conservatory director Nicolai Rubenstein conducting.
The piece is a staple in the ‘cello repertoire and, as variations go, has a rather
unique form. Instead of the predictable format of one variation following
another, he takes a freer approach, with surprising variety between the
variations, and sprinkling orchestral interludes, a cadenza, and ritornellos
throughout, to create a surprising and satisfying result.
The theme is an elegant one, and the sequence of variations includes
ornamenting the melody, a conversation between soloist and orchestra,
a slower melancholy variation in minor, more ornamentation, a meditative
respite, and a final build from graceful theme to dramatic ending. Several
cadenzas appear in different variations, adding to the opportunities for
the soloist to show off their skills. This piece does not have the same depth
of expression or seriousness as his symphonies, but the craftsmanship and
suave treatment of the theme and form are quite remarkable.