Sinfonietta - Tribute to Tchaikovsky (e-Print)

Sinfonietta is Alexander Peskanov's musical tribute to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. As a child, his father used to take him to the Opera, where he listened to Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and other great masterpieces that made him Tchaikovsky's fan forever. As a beginner piano student, Peskanov was introduced to the music of Tchaikovsky through his “Album for the Young,” and became instantly attracted to this great, Russian composer, whose beautiful melodies are filled with nostalgia and passion. Sinfonietta consists of several movements that are merged into one. It starts with the introduction, reminiscent of Tchaikovsky’s overture or an opening movement of one of his symphonies, with rhetorical questions that become more and more intense. The cascade of musical sequences that repeat the same melodies in different keys, reach their climax by leading into a cadenza. The cadenza serves as a transition to a new section, perhaps a second movement, which resembles a duet from a Tchaikovsky opera. The music is more lyrical and nostalgic. The next section, which might represent the third movement of a symphony, is a contrasting Presto scherzo. This music is filled with vitality, spirit and playfulness. The final movement is an elegant and engaging waltz, reminiscent of Leo Tolstoy’s ballroom scene from “War and Peace.” It is followed by a coda filled with bravura and brilliance, inspired by Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.