Recorded on 06/30/2010, uploaded on 11/25/2010

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

With the rise of interest in folk music throughout the 19^th century, the Ukrainian duma (pl. dumy), a melancholic or introspective epic ballad, became a source of inspiration for some composers, particularly those of Slavic background. Thus, the word dumka (pl. dumky), being a diminutive form of duma, was introduced to describe these folk-infused compositions. The composition of dumky became quite popular after the publication of an ethnological study and a number of lectures given by the Slavic composer Mykola Lysenko in 1873-74 in Kiev and St. Petersburg, which featured performances by a Ukrainian kobzar. Arguably the most famous dumka to follow Lysenko’s lectures is Antonín Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, better known as the “Dumky” Trio. However, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Dumka, op. 59 for piano solo is also a well-known example and is one of the composer’s most successful compositions for the instrument.

Composed in 1886, Tchaikovsky’s Dumka begins with a weary lament, marked Andanta cantabile, in C minor. The piece soon awakens and begins to shake off its heavy burden when the right hand lingers on a repetitive scalar passage which then becomes an accompaniment to a restatement of the lament. The growing energy of this opening section leads into a Con anima in E-flat major. The introduction of syncopated rhythms and sprightly grace notes add to the liveliness of this section.  A slackening in tempo (Poco meno mosso) and a shift to G minor interrupt the jovial Con anima, but the restless energy of before is nevertheless maintained and eventually causes the piece to break off into a cadenza. A fiery Moderato con fuoco begins after the cadenza and leads to a final introspective recapitulation of the opening lament with which the piece closes.         Joseph DuBose

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Dunka, op. 59   Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky's Dumka, is one of the Russian composer's few works for solo piano. This narrative Slavic folk song evokes a whirlwind of emotions, starting and ending with a rich, melancholy theme in C-minor, and a celebratory, animated middle section in Eb-Major. Like so many of his other works, Tchaikovsky uses repetition and variation as a main compositional tool for musical development.       Evan Mack

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.