Andante Cantabile

by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky, ed. by Nikk Pilato

"Never in my life have I felt so flattered, never have I been so proud of my creative powers as when Leo Tolstoy sat in the chair next to mine listening to my Andante, and the tears ran down his cheeks," wrote Tchaikovsky in 1876 during a special concert organized for the famed writer at the Moscow Conservatory. Originally the second movement of Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet, Op. 11, the Andante Cantabile has enjoyed a second life in many versions, including versions for full string orchestra, for cello solo and orchestra accompaniment, and various other instrumental combinations. The main theme is based on a Russian folksong, well known during the 1870s, which Tchaikovsky heard at Kamenka in the summer of 1869 from a carpenter, who was a native of Kalush province.

This edition utilizes some of the more commonly heard stylistic interpretations of the Andante and adds the string bass part, where appropriate, to the original composition. Bowings are not included, as this is a highly individual area, and different concert masters and section principals (or conductors themselves) may want to approach bowings in a different manner.

Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russia, on 7 May, 1840. Musically gifted from an early age, the young Tchaikovsky began piano lessons at five, and studied composition with Anton Rubenstein, the director and founder of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Among his most popular compositions are his final three symphonies, the Romeo and Juliet and 1812 overtures, and his three ballets: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty. Tchaikovsky died on 6 November 1893, and was interred in Tikhvin Cemetery at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St Petersburg. The cause of death remains in dispute to this day, with some historians claiming it was a suicide, while most contend it was caused by a bout of cholera.

For an audio sample (MIDI), please click  

Details

Catalog#: NN07-001
Duration: 6:30
Difficulty: Moderate

Instrumentation:

Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Violoncello
Contrabass

FULL SET: $50.00 (includes shipping)

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