yes 5/4 is a very weird time signature, especially at this time. But he makes it sound absolutely natural, and only is you analyze it (as opposed to just listening and enjoying the melody) that you realize it would take some dancing skills to dance to this at a ball!
This is the single most heart-breaking movement of this symphony. If it weren't for this intermezzo the Sixth wouldn't have a fraction of the power that it does.
It's courious how a song in a Major tone can sound sad and melancholic. Like a raven in your mind slowly pecking your soul and your being. Just like the social stigma Tchaikovski feeled during all his life.
All I can say about the conducting this is that when playing this piece I realsied that I couldn't count to 5.... causing me to sit there going one TWO three four FIVE one TWO three four FIVE. My maths teacher would be so proud..........
@PintheDog The way I heard, 5/4 measure was extremely popular among the Russian elite of those days. For dance pieces, of course. I think he's denouncing those social circles here. The music sounds very "grazioso", but there is something menacing beneath it. Especially in the part beginning at 2:47. Sooo creepy.
It's more a comentary about himself. He was living in a disastrous mariage, and he was living in a society where he should wear a mask to occult his homosexuality. For all these reasons he lived a obnoxius life. Btw, we live in a society where people can express himslself no mater his gender, sexuality, race and all this shit, right? RIGHT? ... ... R... right? :/
almost as good as the Player Piano scene in the film Maurice. Just kidding... Such a good recording here. Poor Tchaikovsky! Tortured life for sure... not much has changed in Russia even for 2019 with Gays being round up in Muslim Chechnya
More like everything changed for the worse since then... if you read Nina Berberova's preface to her biography of Tchaikovsky, she is describing how embarrassed she was about approaching his living relatives (in the 1930's, if I'm not mistaken) about his sexuality. And guess what his sister-in-law said? "At the time there were 8 or 9 gay Grand Dukes, a couple of very conservative politicians and even ministers, and tons of other gay people in high society, and everyone knew about it, so nobody cared really, as long as they didn't get into some huge scandal". The whole law school where he studied was queer as f. They were sometimes a bit too tolerant: once one of the students raped another, and everyone else agreed not to report him to the authorities as it was "a personal matter". Also, unlike in Britain at the time it was only actual sexual acts between men (which aren't that easy to prove) that were criminalized, not something vague like "gross indecency", so gay men didn't have do be worried about their every gesture and facial expression. And people of Tchaikovsky's station were NEVER prosecuted even if everybody knew what they did with other men. It wasn't all doom and gloom. Tchaikovsky was more tormented by his own paranoia and internalized homophobia, then by some actual threat from society or the law.
@@Tatiana_Palii Yes & No I suppose would have to do some research... both he & His brother were Gay... When I said Tortured ... I was referring to a broken heart--- He was in love and had his heart broken.. we can ALL relate to that Straight or Gay.
Have you heard Arensky's Piano Concerto? Composed before Tchaikovsky's 6th, it also has a 5/4 time signature, but in its final movement. It is said that Tchaikovsky was critical of Arensky's use of 5/4, but then he later went and wrote this. Arensky's 5/4 is easier to count sounding more like one-two-three-FOUR-FIVE.
While playing, counting to 5 is harder then counting to 2 and 3. If a piece with a 5/4 (or 7/8 is also a "common" uncommon messurement) messurement comes up in our orchestra, I almost certainly switch between 2/4 and 3/4 (or 4/8 and 3/8 if it is 7/8) because it is way easier to count.
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