Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Two Dances: Flute Ensemble: Score and Parts

A superb set of four variations (dances) from this famous ballet again demonstrate the dramatic impact and compositional skill that give Tchaikovsky's music wide spread appeal. Includes: Silver Gold Diamonds and Sapphires.

Tchaikovsky wrote Eugene Onegin in 1878 using a libretto by Konstantin Shilovsky based on the epic poem by Pushkin. Flirtatious Olga and shy bookish Tatyana are sisters Olga being happily engaged to Lenski. One day Lenski arrives with a friend Eugene Onegin and Tatyana is smitten. She writes him a letter but he rudely rebuffs her and she is devastated. At the dance that night he dances with Olga making Lenski jealous also. They fight a duel in which Lenski is killed.Six years later Tatyana has become a beauty and married Prince Gremin unbeknownst to Onegin who has become a wanderer. Onegin enters Gremin’s house for a party seesTatyana falls in love and pleads with her to come with him but Tatyana though confessing she still loves him refuses him she is married. Eugene is left alone and heartbroken.This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score in an English translation by Henry Reese.

Tchaikovsky is best known for his purely instrumental compositions. However we must not underestimate him as a composer of operas. Many of his operas such as ¬Pique Dame and Eugene Onegin are still performed regularly throughout the world. Eugene Onegin (also called Jevgeny Onegin) composed in 1877-1878 was not called an opera by Tchaikovsky himself but ?lyric scenes?. The work is entirely dominated by lyricism. However there are two moments that contrast sharply with this lyricism: two ball scenes for which Tchaikovsky wrote a waltz and a polonaise.After opening with a less well-known allegro dansant this arrangement features the aforementioned waltz which can beconsidered a beautiful Russian equivalent of the Faust Waltz by Charles Gounod. In the opera this waltz is actually played by a military band. The arrangement concludes with the pompous polonaise (also mentioned above) which opens the last act: the ideal music to characterize high aristocracy in the salon of a palace in St. Petersburg.

The Dance Of The Jesters was composed as incidental music for the ballet The Snow Maidens. The ballet is not based on the Hans Christian Andersen story but on a contemporary Russian fantasy-play Snegourochka. The Snow Maiden daughter of Father Frost falls in love with a human Misgir and plans to marry him. However Misgir is already betrothed to Coupava. The Snow Maiden follows him southward to interrupt his wedding but she falls victim to the warmth of the sun and melts. The Dance is an incredibly lively affair that has stood out from the songs dances and choruses of the ballet. It captures the color and zest of Russian folk dance.

Easy-to-intermediate arrangements designed to bring out the best qualities of the flute. The side range of compositions inlcude works by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak and Schubert, as well as folk songs, dances, jigs and reels from all over the world. Arranged for flute and piano. Includes score and part. / Flûte Traversière