Polina's Romance (Podrugi milyye) from the opera The Queen of Spades (1890)
Music by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-93). English lyric translation by Rosa Newmarch.
This song comes towards the end of Act I of the opera, when Polina (Pauline) says she is going to sing Liza's favourite romantic song. Originally, the piece features only Pauline (Polina) singing and accompanying herself at a piano. The words are not directly connected to the plot, but it is intended to reflect the (soprano heroine lead ) Liza's state of mind, somewhat forboding the tragic end of the opera's story. Such a beautiful tune lends itself to the Fullscore series of Songs without Words, arranged for solo piano.
The left-hand chords may be either arpeggiated throughout, giving the song more forward movement, or not. The introductory, expansive arpeggios may be played in your own time (or even left out completely), starting at Bar 6 - the idea of an operatic flourish (or three) might not always be appropriate when playing it as a solo piano piece.
This solo piano edition from Fullscore Publishing is in the Piano Praxis series, as it has been rearranged and newly engraved.
The song's original lyrics (Epitaph for a shepherdess, 1810) form a reflective pastoral verse on a gravestone, by Russian poet Konstantin Batyushkov (1785-1855). Inspired by the famous painting by Nicolas Poussin, The Shepherds of Arcadia (Et in Arcadia ego), from around 1620-30, exploring themes of mortality amidst youthful joy. The opera lyricist, Tchaikovsky's brother Modest, chose the poem for Pauline's (Polina) expressive aria.
Recordings
Hear Polina's Romance (Podrugi milyye) sung in its original operatic setting by mezzo-soprano Galina Borisova in a Bolshoi Theatre production (Spotify audio or YouTube video) - links open in a new tab.
The piece has also been beautifully recorded as a cello duet (with piano) by Ophélie Gaillard (on Spotify or YouTube - both audio only)
For the more adventurous, Alexandrite' has recorded a Gothic/doom metal rock version here (Patreon). Worth a listen!
English translation by Rosa Newmarch (1857-1940)
Dear friends for whom I sing,
Who know no care or sorrow,
But still can sport (play) in happy groves and sunny fields.
I too once dwelled (lived) among the peaceful groves of Arcadie,
Have hailed the dawn of joyful days upon this selfsame earth,
And known the bliss of living.
The golden dreams of love, my earlier years have brightened,
Alas! of all those fair and radiant visions
Now one hope remains alone:
Death calls me.
Biography
Romantic-period Russian composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in 1840 to a mining engineer father and skilled pianist mother. He showed an early passion for music and playing the piano, yet initially studied law in St Petersburg and first worked as a Civil Servant in the Ministry of Justice.
After studying music at the St Petersburg Conservatory from 1862 to 1865 he moved to Moscow to work as music professor. Generous financial patronage allowed his composition work, including beautiful Swan Lake (1877), The Sleeping Beauty (1890), enchanting The Nutcracker (1892), 1812 Overture and his famous piano concertos (No. 1 was written in 1875) and symphonies. Deeply emotional melodies, brilliant orchestrations and dramatic intensities are hallmarks of his memorable, melodic music.
His masterful Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique) premiered only days before his sudden death. He succumbed to complications from cholera, aged 53. As the first Russian composer to achieve lasting international acclaim, he cleverly combined Russian folk traditions with Western influences in his timeless music.
Oil portrait of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1893) painted in the last year of the composer's life by artist Nikolai Dmitriyevich Kuznetsov (1850-1929), Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
Sheet music cover image: Queen of Spades playing card from the classic Russian Atlasnye (Satin/Atlas) playing card deck, originally designed by Adolf Jossifowitsch Charlemagne (1826–1901).
Other Fullscore Publications
Sixteen carefully selected lyrical pieces (including six by women composers) arranged for solo piano are included in the printed Fullscore Publication Songs without Words, Book 1, available only from Amazon globally. Link: tinyurl.com/hs7mp85s
Other pieces for intermediate piano players are available as free pdf downloads from fullscoremusic.co.uk
