Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Difference between revisions
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==== Libretto ====
The opera's libretto was compiled by Tchaikovsky, after [[tchaikovsky:Friedrich Schiller|Friedrich Schiller]]'s tragedy ''Die Jungfrau von Orleans'' (1801) in a Russian translation by [[tchaikovsky:Vasily Zhukovsky|Vasily Zhukovsky]], with additional material from Auguste Mermet's opera ''Jeanne d'Arc'' and Jules Barbier's drama of the same name <ref name="note1">Jules Barbier's drama ''Jeanna d'Arc'', in 5 acts, 7 scenes with music by [[tchaikovsky:Charles Gounod|Charles Gounod]] was first performed in [[tchaikovsky:Paris|Paris]] on 8 November 1873. According to Félix Clément (1822–1885), this drama represented events with historical accuracy Among the musical numbers, Clément highly rated the chorus of refugees, the soldiers' chorus, and the funeral march — see Félix Clément & Pierre Larousse, ''Dictionnaire des operas (Dictionnaire lyrique)'' (1897 edition, revised by Arthur Pougin), p. 604. Auguste Mermet's opera ''Jeanna d'Arc'', in 4 acts, 6 scenes, was first performed in [[tchaikovsky:Paris|Paris]] on 5 April 1876.</ref>.
During the summer of 1878 Tchaikovsky began to look for a subject for a new opera.
"Here I'm writing the ''Introduzione e Fuga''. Both of them will go to make up a ''suite'', which I want to do now in order to take a long break from symphonic music, and set about an opera. What shall it be? ''[[tchaikovsky:Romeo and Juliet (projected opera)|Romeo]]'' or ''[[tchaikovsky:Les Caprices de Marianne|Les Caprices de Marianne]]''?", Tchaikovsky wrote in the summer of 1878
<ref name="note2">See [[tchaikovsky:Letter 900|Letter 900]] to [[tchaikovsky:Modest Tchaikovsky|Modest Tchaikovsky]], 21 August/2 September 1878.</ref>.
Many of the composer's statements dating from the summer and autumn of 1878 indicate his desire to find a plot for an opera that could inspire him. Ultimately a subject was found. On 21 November/3 December 1878
<ref name="note3">The original gives an incorrect date of "2 December".</ref>, Tchaikovsky writes to [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I am attracted by a new operatic subject, namely:''The Maid of Orleans'' by [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]] [...] The idea of writing an opera based on this story came to me in [[tchaikovsky:Kamenka|Kamenka]] while I was leafing through [[tchaikovsky:Zhukovsky|Zhukovsky]], who has translated [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]]'s ''The Maid of Orleans''. It has wonderful potential for music [...] I was pondering the subject before my last visit to [[tchaikovsky:Saint Petersburg|Saint Petersburg]], but now I am seriously interested"
<ref name="note4">[[tchaikovsky:Letter 973|Letter 973]] to [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]], 21 November/3 December 1878; see also [[tchaikovsky:Letter 966|Letter 966]] to [[tchaikovsky:Modest Tchaikovsky|Modest Tchaikovsky]], 13/25 November 1878.</ref>.
Intending to write the libretto himself, Tchaikovsky embarked on studying the story. The composer did not restrict himself to [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]]'s drama only: he sought to incorporate a variety of historical and artistic sources
<ref name="note5">See [[tchaikovsky:Letter 968|Letter 968]] to [[tchaikovsky:Pyotr Jurgenson|Pyotr Jurgenson]], 15/27 November 1878; [[tchaikovsky:Letter 976|Letter 976]] to [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]], 23 November/5 December 1878; [[tchaikovsky:Letter 1016|Letter 1016]] to [[tchaikovsky:Anatoly Tchaikovsky|Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 11/23 December 1878; and [[tchaikovsky:Letter 1008|Letter 1008]] to [[tchaikovsky:Modest Tchaikovsky|Modest Tchaikovsky]], 6/18 December 1878.</ref>. On 6/18 December 1878 he told [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]]: "For the moment I have only [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]]'s drama translated by [[tchaikovsky:Zhukovsky|Zhukovsky]]. Obviously the opera text cannot be based strictly on [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]]'s scenario. There are too many characters, too many minor episodes. It requires a reworking, not just an abridgement..."
<ref name="note6">[[tchaikovsky:Letter 1007|Letter 1007]] to [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]], 6/18 December 1878.</ref>. "I want to burrow in catalogues and obtain a small collection of books on '' Jeanne d'Arc''"
<ref name="note7">See [[tchaikovsky:Letter 1007|Letter 1007]] to [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]], 6/18 December 1878.</ref> . "I'm thinking a very great deal about the libretto and can't yet make a definite plan. There's much that pleases me in [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]], but I must admit I'm disturbed by his disdain for historical accuracy"
<ref name="note8">[[tchaikovsky:Letter 1013|Letter 1013]] to [[tchaikovsky:Modest Tchaikovsky|Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 December 1878.</ref>.
==== Movements and Duration ====
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