Run Time: Approx. 26 minutes

In his program note for the premiere of Mozartiana, Tchaikovsky wrote: “A great many of Mozart’s short pieces are, for some incomprehensible reason, little known — not only to the public but to musicians as well. The author who has arranged this suite, titled ‘Mozartiana,’ aimed to create a new opportunity for more frequent performances of these musical gems, which are simple in form but filled with unrivaled beauty.”

The practice of reworking, re-orchestrating, or tinkering with the works of fellow composers has existed as long as music has been written. Sometimes, a reworking shows that someone believed they could do it better than the original. However, that is definitely not the case here. This reimagining of Mozart’s music is done with unmistakable love and reverence, just as one would expect from the composer Tchaikovsky who called him “my god, Mozart.”

Throughout the set, Tchaikovsky becomes increasingly bold with his interpretations, his own voice emerging more prominently as the movements progress. The first two movements are based on two short dance forms: the Gigue in G Major, K 574—which Mozart inscribed in the guest book of an organist he was visiting in Leipzig—and the Minuet in D Major, K 355. Both pieces are sweet on the surface, but they are surprisingly ahead of their time, full of daring dissonances that Tchaikovsky eagerly emphasizes in his orchestration. Here, he stays quite true to Mozart’s originals, even scoring them in a way that could pass for Classical-era orchestration.

The third movement is based on Mozart’s Ave verum corpus, K 618, originally written for string orchestra and chorus. However, for his rendition, Tchaikovsky turned to an organ arrangement by Franz Liszt. Here, Tchaikovsky begins to loosen his restraints a bit, and this is the first movement of the set that sounds more like Tchaikovsky than Mozart—especially with the use of the harp. The music takes on that unmistakable balletic, almost fairytale quality that Tchaikovsky does so well.

The fourth and final movement is based on a Mozart work that is itself already a reworking of another composer: 10 Variations on the Arietta ‘Unser dummer Pöbel meint’ by Christoph Willibald Gluck. Though Tchaikovsky does not add any new variations of his own, he fully transforms Mozart’s music into the world of the late-Romantic Russian orchestra. By this point, we are entirely within Tchaikovsky’s sound world, complete with grand trumpet fanfares, warmly singing violin solos, and densely layered orchestral textures.

As a final note, Tchaikovsky’s orchestration prominently features the clarinet in a solo role, which subtly nods to Mozart, who loved the instrument and played a key part in solidifying its permanent place in the orchestra.