March Slav

Tchaikovsky referred to the piece as his Serbo-Russian March while writing it. It was premiered in Moscow on November 17 1876, conducted by Nikolai Rubinstein. The march is highly programmatic in its form and organization. The first section describes the oppression of the Serbs by the Turkish. It uses two Serbian folk songs, Bright sun, you do not shine equally and Gladly does the Serb become a soldier - giving way to the second section in the relative major key, which describes the Russians rallying to help the Serbs. This is based on a simple melody with the character of a rustic dance which is passed around the orchestra until finally it gives way to a solemn statement of the Russian national anthem "God Save the Tsar." The third section of the piece is a repeat of Tchaikovsky's furious orchestral climax, reiterating the Serbian cry for help. The final section describes the Russian volunteers marching to assist the Serbs. It uses a Russian tune, this time in the tonic major key and includes another blazing rendition of God Save the Tsar prophesying the triumph of the Slavonic people over tyranny. The overture finishes with a virtuoso coda for the full orchestra. The piece shares a few refrains with the 1812 Overture, with which it is frequently paired in performance. This is the Tsarist (i.e., non-Soviet) Version.