Enjoyment of Music, Ess. Listening Ed. 4th Ed

1. CHAPTER 43
Poetry in Motion:
Tchaikovsky and the Ballet
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2. LET’S DANCE!!!
• UPTOWN FUNK YOU UP!!!

3. Ballet
• During Renaissance, choreographed dance central to lavish
festivals & theatrical entertainments at court
• Intermedio, Italy; Masque, England; ballet de cour, France
• Independent art form in 18th century
• French ballet
• Russian ballet
• (Hoffer book)

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The Ballet, Part 1
I. The Ballet
A. Renaissance
1. ballet central to lavish festivals, theatrical entertainments
a. presented at courts of kings, dukes
2. royal weddings, celebrations: spectacles with scenery,
costumes, staged dancing
a. Italy: intermedio

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The Ballet, Part 2

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The Ballet, Part 3
b. England: masque
c. France: ballet de cour
B. Eighteenth century: ballet became independent art form
C. Nineteenth century: France and Russia preeminent
1. Marius Petipa, Russian choreographer: structure for
pas de deux

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Born in Votinsk, Russia
Studied law, worked in Ministry of
Justice until age 23
Studied at St. Petersburg
Conservatory of music with Anton
Rubinstein
Taught music at Moscow
Conservatory until age 37 when he
retired to compose
One failed marriage, lived with
brothers in St. Petersburg
Supported financially by Nadezhda
von Meck, required they never
meet
1893-contracted cholera
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

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Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Toured Russia, London, Europe as guest conductor
Guest conductor with New York philharmonic for
opening of Carnegie Hall
NOT accepted into Russian Five; believed to be too
cosmopolitan and influenced by music of other
nations be a Russian nationalist
Suffered hatred because of his homosexuality;
probably committed suicide at age 53

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Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Some famous works
Opera: Eugene Onegin, The Queen of Spades, Mazeppa
Orchestral music: Ballets: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty,
The Nutcracker; Overtures: Romeo and Juliet, 1812
Overture, March slav; 6 symphonies No. 2 Little Russian,
No. 3 Polish, No. 5 Pathétique; Concertos: 3 piano, 1 violin;
Miscellaneous: Capriccio italien, Capriccio espagnol

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 1
II. Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker
A. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
1. Russian composer
2. son of government official
3. entered Conservatory of St. Petersburg at age twenty
three
4. taught twelve years at Moscow Conservatory
5. extremely sensitive nature, prone to depression

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 3
6. social pressures, homosexual, married a student
7. Nadezhda von Meck: wealthy widow, became his patron
8. fame in Europe and United States
a. 1891: conducted opening of Carnegie Hall, New
York City
9. output: eight operas, three ballets: Swan Lake, The
Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker; seven symphonies;
four concertos; chamber and keyboard music, choral
music; songs

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 4
B. The Nutcracker
1. based on E. T. A. Hoffmann story
a. Christmas party
b. Clara and Fritz receive a nutcracker from their
godfather
c. Clara dreams the Nutcracker becomes her Prince
d. travel through magical realm, exoticism
2. choreographed by Petipa

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 5

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 6
C. Listening Guide 32: Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Two
Dances (1892)
1. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
a. A–B–A, bouncy duple meter (andante tempo)
b. introduction: pizzicato strings
c. A section: celesta, bell-like timbre
d. B section: brief, woodwinds and celesta answered
by strings
e. closes with loud pizzicato chord

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 7

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 8
2. Trepak (Russian Dance)
a. A–B–A, molto vivace (very lively)
b. lively peasant dance, tambourine featured
c. descending melody with sforzandos (heavy accents)
d. accelerando to end, trumpet fanfare, syncopations

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Popular every Christmas
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Sugar Plum Fairy
Trepak
Trepak
The Nutcracker

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 9

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Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker, Part 10

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Swan Lake
Swan Lake

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Piano Concerto No. 1
Piano Concerto No. 1

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Credits
This concludes the Lecture PowerPoint presentation for “The Enjoyment of Music, 4th Edition, Chapter 43: Poetry in Motion:
Tchaikovsky and the Ballet”
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