Serenade for Strings, Op.48: Study score

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Richard W. Sargeant Jr. (Editor)

One of the composer's favorite works, Tchaikovsky's charming Serenade in C has enjoyed worldwide popularity among conductors, performers, and music lovers since its premiere in St. Petersburg in October 1881. Written in mid-1880, just a few months after completion of his Capriccio Italian and almost simultaneously with the composition of the 1812 Overture, the Serenade reflects a world quite apart from those two fiery pieces: "...Tchaikovsky's equivalent of an 18th-century divertimento" (Grove).

60 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1984

About the author

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Петр Ильич Чайковский) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. While not part of the nationalistic music group known as "The Five", Tchaikovsky wrote music which was distinctly Russian: plangent, introspective, with modally-inflected melody and harmony.

Tchaikovsky considered himself a professional composer. He felt his professionalism in combining skill and high standards in his musical works separated him from his colleagues in "The Five." He shared several of their ideals, including an emphasis on national character in music. His aim, however, was linking those ideals with a professional standard high enough to satisfy European criteria. His professionalism also fueled his desire to reach a broad public, not just nationally but internationally, which he would eventually do.