Chanson triste, Op. 40 No. 2

About this piece

Chanson triste (Sad Song) is No. 2 of Tchaikovsky's Twelve Pieces for piano, Op. 40, subtitled 'of moderate difficulty'. He wrote them between February and April 1878, working in Florence, Clarens and Kamenka. Jurgenson published the set in 1879 with a dedication to the composer's brother Modest. The piano original is a 68-bar Allegro non troppo in G minor. A plaintive, step-wise melody is heard first, then a 'Poco più mosso' middle section, then the tune returns quietly. Johannes Palaschko's arrangement for violin or cello and piano is published by Schott as a single edition (ED 2415, © 1913), with separate violin and cello parts. Hal Leonard distributes it as HL 49008670. Other cello arrangements are set for exams: Legg & Gout's (Faber, Learning the Tenor Clef) for ABRSM Grade 5, Draths's (Schott, Best of Cello Classics) for Trinity Grade 5, and the Suzuki Cello School Book 4 version for RCM Grade 6 and ASTACAP Level 4. Andrés Díaz recorded a cello-and-piano version with Samuel Sanders on Russian Romantics for Cello and Piano (1993).

Technical overview

One movement of about three minutes in G minor: Allegro non troppo, a 'Poco più mosso' middle section, then a return to the opening. In Palaschko's cello part the long-breathed tune moves between bass and tenor clef. It is mostly in slurred pairs of tenuto (portato) crotchets, with dynamics from mf down to ppp, many hairpins and a ritardando. The closing bars appear to be marked 'o' as natural harmonics.

Technical focus

• Legato
• 2 Note Slurs
• 3 Note Slurs
• 4 Note Slurs
• Dynamics
• Hairpin Dynamics
• Shifting