Composer

:

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

1883

Average_duration

:

3:52

"Tell me, what in the shade of the branches" is a song composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky in 1883. It is the first of six songs in his Opus 57, which were all composed in the same year. The song is set to a poem by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, a Russian poet and playwright. The song premiered in Moscow on December 16, 1883, with the famous Russian soprano Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya performing. It was well-received by the audience and critics alike, and it quickly became one of Tchaikovsky's most popular songs. "Tell me, what in the shade of the branches" is a slow and melancholic song, with a simple and repetitive melody that perfectly captures the mood of the poem. The song is in the key of G minor and is written for a solo voice and piano accompaniment. The song is divided into three distinct sections, each with its own character and mood. The first section is slow and introspective, with the singer asking the titular question in a soft and mournful voice. The second section is more agitated, with the singer expressing her frustration and despair at not being able to find an answer to her question. The final section returns to the slow and melancholic mood of the beginning, with the singer resigning herself to the fact that she may never find the answer she seeks. Overall, "Tell me, what in the shade of the branches" is a beautiful and haunting song that perfectly captures the mood of the poem. It is a testament to Tchaikovsky's skill as a composer that he was able to create such a powerful and emotional piece of music from such a simple and repetitive melody.

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