Nessun maggior dolore - Revision history

Tony: Text replacement - "harmonized" to "harmonised" for consistency

2023-03-04T19:33:27Z

Text replacement - "harmonized" to "harmonised" for consistency

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:33, 4 March 2023
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	Tchaikovsky made three slightly different settings of [[Dante]]'s words: "Nessun maggior dolore / Che ricordarsi del tempo felice / Nella miseria" ("There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in the midst of misery"), from Canto V (verses 121–123) of the ''Inferno'' from ''La Divina Commedia'' (ca.1310–14).		Tchaikovsky made three slightly different settings of [[Dante]]'s words: "Nessun maggior dolore / Che ricordarsi del tempo felice / Nella miseria" ("There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in the midst of misery"), from Canto V (verses 121–123) of the ''Inferno'' from ''La Divina Commedia'' (ca. 1310–14).

	The ''Divine Comedy'' was well-known to Tchaikovsky: his 1876 orchestral fantasia ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' was based on this subject, and in his correspondence, he frequently quoted the lines "''Nessun maggior dolore''..." when recalling happier times <ref name="note1"/>.		The ''Divine Comedy'' was well-known to Tchaikovsky: his 1876 orchestral fantasia ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' was based on this subject, and in his correspondence, he frequently quoted the lines "''Nessun maggior dolore''..." when recalling happier times <ref name="note1"/>.

	Firstly, Tchaikovsky noted down a melody to Dante's words (G minor, 15 bars), in his printed collection of church songs; this sketch is dated 13/25 May 1881. Then on 6/18 June 1881, he wrote out a modified version of the same theme—now in A minor (17 bars) and fully ~~harmonized—in~~ a letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] <ref name="note2"/>.		Firstly, Tchaikovsky noted down a melody to Dante's words (G minor, 15 bars) in his printed collection of church songs; this sketch is dated 13/25 May 1881. Then on 6/18 June 1881, he wrote out a modified version of the same theme—now in A minor (17 bars) and fully harmonised—in a letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] <ref name="note2"/>.
	[[File:1780 ex1.jpg\|center\|500px]]		[[File:1780 ex1.jpg\|center\|500px]]
	[[File:1780 ex2.jpg\|center\|500px]]		[[File:1780 ex2.jpg\|center\|500px]]
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	Soon afterwards he re-used this setting in the opera ''[[Mazepa]]'' <ref name="note3"/>.		Soon afterwards he re-used this setting in the opera ''[[Mazepa]]'' <ref name="note3"/>.

	In 1884 or 1885 the composer sketched a new melody to the same words in one of his notebooks. With only small changes, this new setting was used as Astarte's theme in the symphony ''[[Manfred]]'', which dates from 1885, and it is possible that Tchaikovsky conceived this sketch with the symphony in mind <ref name="note4"/>.		In 1884 or 1885, the composer sketched a new melody to the same words in one of his notebooks. With only small changes, this new setting was used as Astarte's theme in the symphony ''[[Manfred]]'', which dates from 1885, and it is possible that Tchaikovsky conceived this sketch with the symphony in mind <ref name="note4"/>.

	==Notes and References==		==Notes and References==

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2022-07-12T11:13:54Z

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Brett at 21:00, 19 January 2020

2020-01-19T21:00:26Z

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Tchaikovsky made three slightly different settings of [[Dante]]'s words: "Nessun maggior dolore / Che ricordarsi del tempo felice / Nella miseria" ("There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in the midst of misery"), from Canto V (verses 121–123) of the ''Inferno'' from ''La Divina Commedia'' (ca.1310–14).

The ''Divine Comedy'' was well-known to Tchaikovsky: his 1876 orchestral fantasia ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' was based on this subject, and in his correspondence, he frequently quoted the lines "''Nessun maggior dolore''..." when recalling happier times <ref name="note1"/>.

Firstly, Tchaikovsky noted down a melody to Dante's words (G minor, 15 bars), in his printed collection of church songs; this sketch is dated 13/25 May 1881. Then on 6/18 June 1881, he wrote out a modified version of the same theme—now in A minor (17 bars) and fully harmonized—in a letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] <ref name="note2"/>.
[[File:1780 ex1.jpg|center|500px]]
[[File:1780 ex2.jpg|center|500px]]

Soon afterwards he re-used this setting in the opera ''[[Mazepa]]'' <ref name="note3"/>.

In 1884 or 1885 the composer sketched a new melody to the same words in one of his notebooks. With only small changes, this new setting was used as Astarte's theme in the symphony ''[[Manfred]]'', which dates from 1885, and it is possible that Tchaikovsky conceived this sketch with the symphony in mind <ref name="note4"/>.

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">For example in [[Letter 481]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 3/15 July 1876, and [[Letter 3805]] to [[Vladimir Davydov]], 20 February/4 March 1889.</ref>
<ref name="note2">[[Letter 1780]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 6/18–11/23 June 1881.</ref>
<ref name="note3">In the duet for Mariya and Andrey, «И я, так ты, несчастна» ("And I, like you, am unlucky") (Act I, No. 2), and also in the orchestral introduction to Andrey's Arioso (Act III, No. 16), in which he recalls his family home and his love for Mariya, and the Finale (Act III, No. 19), where Mariya recalls her love for the dying Andrey. We are most grateful to Mr Simone Mantelli for identifying the last instance.</ref>
<ref name="note4">See {{bib|2002/22|The Tchaikovsky Handbook, vol. 1}} (2002), p. 403.</ref>
</references>
[[Category:Projected Works]]
[[Category:Songs]]