Serenade for Strings in C Major

Tchaikovsky’s Serenade is one of his most personal works. In 1880, the composer worked on two major projects, the 1812 Overture, written to an official commission, and the Serenade, which, he said, was a piece from the heart. When he began writing, the music seemed to suggest either a string quartet or a symphony. The resulting work is a hybrid, written for a large orchestra, but only of strings. The first movement, “Piece in the Form of a Sonatina,” is a homage to Mozart, Tchaikovsky’s favourite composer. Mozart’s influence is clear from the graceful and carefree melodic lines. But the music has drama too, particularly from the imposing chorale at the opening. The second movement, “Waltzer”, begins with a deceptively simple dance theme, but then becomes more sophisticated as Tchaikovsky shares it around the instruments and adds rich accompaniments. The third movement, “Élégie”, has an ethereal, weightless quality, but it builds to a powerful climax before fading away just as mysteriously. The finale is subtitled “Tema Russo” (“Russian Theme”). It opens with a quiet statement of a Russian folk melody, “On the Green Meadow”, which then transforms into a spirited dance. But Tchaikovsky saves a final dramatic twist for the work’s ending. Just as we think the movement is to conclude, he reintroduces the weighty chorale from the opening, and the final passage blends its imposing harmonies with the spirited rhythms of the finale’s folk theme.