Does Tchaikovsky’s recurring use of music from ‘God save the Tsar’ make him a nationalistic

composer?

In the early 19th century the desire of European countries to embrace stronger national identities saw

the emergence of nationalism. Nicholas Temperley explains musical nationalism as involving ‘the

conscious use of elements that can be recognised as belonging to one’s own nation, with the object of

arousing patriotic feelings’.1 In Russia, the Kuchka (The Mighty Five composers – Balakirev,

Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui and Borodin), forged their style by embracing folksongs and

composing with forms not common of traditional European styles. Alternatively, Tchaikovsky

preferred to write in the German style and only occasionally used folksongs. However, in at least six of

his compositions, Tchaikovsky made use of God Save the Tsar (Figure 1), the national anthem of the

Russian Empire from 1833-1917.

Figure 1. Lvov, Piano arrangement of Russian Hymn, God Save the Tsar.2

I argue that Tchaikovsky’s use of the country’s anthem, with its ability to arouse feelings of patriotism,

was no less a form of nationalism than the use of native folksongs by the Kuchka.

In 1833, a time when Italian operas where the common form of entertainment in Russia, a letter was

circulated to the heads of state from the ‘minister of “popular enlightenment” ‘ (that is, education, as

the Bolsheviks would also call it) insisting that education should now be approached, as per the

Intention of the Tsar, with Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationality.3 In response to this new doctrine of

1 Nicholas Temperley, ‘Nationalism’, in Oxford Music Online, www.oxfordmusiconline.com, accessed 6 August 20102 Alex Lvov, Russian Hymn (God Save the Tsar). Berlin: Schlesinger, n.d.3 Richard Taruskin, Defining Russia Musically. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2000, 26.

‘Official Nationality’ Mikhail Glinka composed his opera A Life for the Tsar (1836), which heralded a

new era in art music in Russia and provided a point in time that can be viewed as the moment ‘the

Russian school can really be seen to have been inaugurated’.4 Tchaikovsky and the Kuchka where

greatly inspired by Glinka, yet they maintained differing philosophies regarding composition and what

constituted ‘Russian’ music. It is interesting to note that whilst the use of folk-tunes is key to the

nationalistic style of the Kuchka, Beethoven is not considered a composer of Russian nationalism,

despite his many works based on Russian folk-tunes.

The six known works by Tchaikovsky that use God Save the Tsar all contain strong links to patriotism or

key moments in Russia’s history. The Festival Overture on the Danish National Anthem (Op. 16, 1866)

was written for the marriage of Tsar Alexander III to the Danish Princess Dagmar and features both the

Royal Danish Anthem and God Save the Tsar, though Tchaikovsky’s decision to quote the Russian

Anthem in a minor key resulted in the work not being used for its original purpose. His 1872 Cantata

for the Opening of the Polytechnic Exhibition was written in memory of Peter the Great, who ruled

during the transition from Russia to the Russian Empire in the 17th century. The Slavonic March (Op.

31, 1876) celebrated the alliance Russia had with the Serbians as they fought the Turks, and features a

re-working of a Serbian folk-tune (Fig. 2) as well as the Imperial Hymn.

Figure 2. Tchaikovsky, Slavonic March, Bars 5-9 with Serbian Folk-tune in Bassoon and Viola. 5

His solo piano work March for the Volunteer Fleet (1878) concluded with a quote of God save the Tsar

(Fig. 3).

4 M. Montagnu-Nathan, A History of Russian Music: Being an account..., London: William Reeves, 1918, 8.5 Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Slavonic March Op. 31, ed. Irina Nikolayevna Iordan, New York: Kalmus, n.d, 2.

Figure 3. Tchaikovsky, March for the Volunteer Fleet, Page 4, God Save the Tsar is used in the last eight bars.6

His Coronation March (1883) for Tsar Alexander III made use of both God Save the Tsar and the Danish

Anthem, to honour the Tsars Danish wife.

The sixth, and most well known of these works is the 1812 Overture, a work commissioned to

commemorate the failure of the Napoleon lead invasion of Russia by France. Tchaikovsky makes use of

several Russian tunes to portray the Russian people and paints the battle using the French Anthem La

Marseilleise and God Save the Tsar to represent to the two armies. When discussing 1812 one may

argue if any sense of nationalism exists purely because of the works commission, and therefore may

not be a true display of nationalism. I would counter such an argument with the view that Tchaikovsky

would have been selected for the commission as a result of his previous catalogue of works, several of

6 Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Volunteer Fleet March, ed. Anatoly Nikolayevich Drozdov, New York: Kalmus, n.d (circa 1970), 4.

which contained his patriotic use of the national anthem, but perhaps more important is that

‘Tchaikovsky’s works contain much that could only have come from Russia.’ 7

Figure 4. Tchaikovsky, Slavonic March, original version with God Save the Tsar in the Bassoons, Low Brass and

Strings. 8

The importance of Tchaikovsky’s music to the national psyche is highlighted with the fact that during

the Soviet era of the 20th century authorities altered several of his works and removed any traces of

the previous anthem, God save the Tsar (Fig 4 & 5).

7 Leonid Sabaneev and S.W. Pring, ‘Tchaikovsky’, The Musical Times 70, no. 1031 (Jan 1929): 208 Tchaikovsky, Slavonic March.

Figure 5. Tchaikovsky, Slavonic March, Soviet version of Fig 4 with anthem removed. 9

9 Ibid

In some cases God Save the Tsar was replaced with the ‘Glory’ chorus from Glinka’s A Life for the Tsar,

extra bars were added so it would fit. (Figs 6 &7).

Figure 6. Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture, Original version with God Save the Tsar in the lower

instruments. 10

10 Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture Op. 49, Moscow: Jurgenson, n.d.(circa 1882).

Figure 7. Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture, Edited version with Glinka's 'Glory' chorus in place of

God Save the Tsar. 11

What better way to edit music of such national importance, than with material from the first truly

Russian opera, written by the composer considered to be the father of Russian nationalistic music.

I argue that Tchaikovsky was composing contemporary nationalistic music with which the people of

the day could connect, where as the Kuchka were arranging music of national heritage. Sabaneev

comments that Tchaikovsky‘s melodies are ‘as characteristic a product of the Russian musical

consciousness as any folk-song’.12 Using God Save the Tsar enabled Tchaikovsky to embrace his

patriotism whilst creating music the masses could easily associate. As such, it is my view that we

should view his use of the anthem as a form of nationalism.

11 Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture Op. 49, ed. Alexander Alexandrovich Nikolayev, Moscow: Muzguz, 1961.12 Sabaneev and Pring, ‘Tchaikovsky’, 21.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books, Journal Articles, Websites

Brown, David. ‘Balakirev, Tchaikovsky and Nationalism’, Music & Letters 42/3 (July 1961): 227–41.

Brown, David. ‘Review’’ Music & Letters 76/3 (July 1966): 627–9.

Gilbert, Henry F. ‘Folk-Music in Art-Music – A Discussion and a Theory’, Music Quarterly 3/4 (Oct.

1917): 577–601

Maes, Francis. A History of Russian Music. Trans. Arnold Pomerans and Erica Pomerans. California:

University of California Press, 2002

Makarov, Vadim. Russian Anthem Museum, http://www.hymn.ru/ (accessed 2 August 2010)

Montagu-Nathan, M. A History of Russian Music – Being an account of the rise and progress of the

Russian School of composers, with a survey of their lives and a description of their works. London:

William Reeves, 1918.

Ridenour, Robert C. Nationalism, Modernism, and Personal Rivalry in 19th-Century Russian Music.

Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1981.

Sabaneev, Leonid and S.W. Pring. ‘Tchaikovsky’, Musical Times 70/1031 (Jan 1929): 20–23

Seaman, Gerald. ‘Amateur Music-Making in Russia’, Music & Letters 47/3 (July 1966): 249–59.

Taruskin, Richard. Defining Russia Musically. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2000.

Scores

Lvov, Alex. Russian Hymn (God Save the Tsar), Berlin: Schlesinger, n.d.

Tchaikovsky, Pytor Ilyich. 1812 Overture Op.49, Moscow: Jurgenson, n.d. (circa 1882).

Tchaikovsky, Pytor Ilyich. 1812 Overture Op.49, ed. Alexander Alexandrovich Nikolayev, Moscow:

Muzguz, 1961.

Tchaikovsky, Pytor Ilyich. Coronation March, ed. Brett Langston, Tchaikovsky Research, 2007.

Tchaikovsky, Pytor Ilyich. Festival Overture on the Danish National Anthem Op.15, ed. Irina

Nikolayevna Iordan, New York: Kalmus, n.d. (circa 1970).

Tchaikovsky, Pytor Ilyich. Slavonic March Op.31, ed. Irina Nikolayevna Iordan, New York: Kalmus, n.d.

(circa 1970).

Tchaikovsky, Pytor Ilyich. Volunteer Fleet March, ed. Anatoly Nikolayevich Drozdov, New York: Kalmus,

n.d. (circa 1970).