Tchaikovsky: Six Romances, Op. 25 (1875) IV. The Canary. Moderato (G minor)

Tchaikovsky: Six Romances, Op. 25
(1875)
IV. The Canary (Канарейка)
Moderato (G minor)


Tchaikovsky's Six Romances (Шесть романсов), Op. 25 (TH 97 ; ČW 226-231) were written in February and March 1875 for the Saint Petersburg publisher Vasily Bessel.

Instrumentation:
Scored for high voice (Nos. 2, 3, 4), medium voice (Nos. 1, 6), or low voice (No. 5), with piano accompaniment.

Movements:

IV. The Canary (Канарейка) Moderato (G minor)

The sultana says to the canary:
"Bird! better in a high tower
Shebet and sing songs to Zyuleyka,
What to flutter in the far West?
Sing, sing to me about the sea, little song,
Sing, sing to me about the West, fidget!
Is there such a sky, a bird,
Is there such a harem and a cage?
Who has so many roses there?
Which of the shahs has Zuleika -
And should she lift the veil like that?

The canary chirps in response to her:
"Don't ask me for overseas songs,
Do not awaken my longing unnecessarily:
Your harem is too small for our songs,
And their words are alien to odalisques...
You bloomed in a lazy slumber,
Like all nature around you,
And you don't know, you haven't even heard
That the song has a sister - freedom.

Lev Mey (1822–1862), from his poem of the same name (1859)

Composition:
The first reference to the projected romances occurs in Tchaikovsky's letter to Vasily Bessel of 9/21 November 1874: "I shall certainly write the romances, but do not rush me. I am again beginning to think about a new large-scale composition which, since I finished the piano score of the opera, has taken over all my thoughts. The romances will be written, assuredly, during the winter". The "large work" mentioned was the Piano Concerto No. 1, and the opera—Vakula the Smith

According to the dates on the manuscripts of the concerto, the draft was completed on 21 December 1874/2 January 1875, and the instrumentation on 9/21 February. In a letter to Modest Tchaikovsky of 13/25 February 1875, the composer reported that he had finished the piano concerto and was writing the Sérénade mélancolique, Op. 26.

On 22 March/3 April 1875, Tchaikovsky wrote to Vasily Bessel: "I have sent you the romances, together with the proofs. What should I put as the opus number? Shouldn't it be 25?". In this same letter, Tchaikovsky enclosed his receipt for the 150 rubles he had been paid for the opus 25 set by Bessel.

Publication:
They were published for the first time by Vasily Bessel in April 1875. In 1940 they were included in volume 44 of Tchaikovsky's Complete Collected Works, edited by Ivan Shishov and Nikolay Shemanin.

Autographs:
Tchaikovsky's manuscript scores of all six romances are now preserved in the Russian National Museum of Music in Moscow (ф. 88, No. 133).

Dedication:
For the most part the romances are dedicated to performers from the first production of the opera The Oprichnik in 1874.

I. Aleksandra Krutikova (1851-1919), soprano, who performed the role of Morozova in the opera.
II. Dmitry Orlov (1842-1919), tenor, who premiered the role of Andrey.
III. Mariya Kamenskaya (1854-1925), mezzo-soprano.
IV. Wilhelmina Raab (1848-1917), soprano, who portrayed Natalya in The Oprichnik
V. Ivan Melnikov (1832-1906), baritone, who premiered Viazminsky in the opera.

The romance As They Kept Saying: "Fool" (VI) carries no dedication.