Tchaikovsky The Seasons Чайковский Времена года Valentina Lisitsa

Recorded at marvelous Schaubühne Lindenfels Leipzig Many thanks to MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra for lending me the piano :) A HUGE very special thanks going to The Embassy of Russian Federation in Canada (Ottawa), Russian Ambassador to Canada Alexander Darchiev and Press Secretary of Russian Embassy Kirill Kalinin - for "making" me learn this gem of music for a special concert dedicated to Tchaikovsky s 175th anniversary. Janvier (January): Au coin du feu (At the Fireside) January A little corner of peaceful bliss, the night dressed in twilight; the little fire is dying in the fireplace, and the candle has burned out. (Alexander Pushkin) Février (February): Carnaval (Carnival) 5:36 February At the lively Mardi Gras soon a large feast will overflow. (Pyotr Vyazemsky) 9:09 Mars (March): Chant de l alouette (Song of the Lark) März The field shimmering with flowers, the stars swirling in the heavens, the song of the lark fills the blue abyss. (Apollon Maykov) 12:24 Avril (April): Perce-neige (Snowdrop) April The blue, pure snowdrop — flower, and near it the last snowdrops. The last tears over past griefs, and first dreams of another happiness. (A. Maykov) 15:22 Mai (May): Les nuits de mai (Starlit Nights) Mai What a night! What bliss all about! I thank my native north country! From the kingdom of ice, snowstorms and snow, how fresh and clean May flies in! (Afanasy Fet) 21:12 Juin (June): Barcarolle (Barcarolle) June Let us go to the shore; there the waves will kiss our feet. With mysterious sadness the stars will shine down on us. (Aleksey Pleshcheyev) 27:52 Juillet (July): Chant du faucheur (Song of the Reaper) July Move the shoulders, shake the arms! And the noon wind breathes in the face! (Aleksey Koltsov) 30:03 Août (August): La moisson (Harvest) August The harvest has grown, people in families cutting the tall rye down to the root! Put together the haystacks, music screeching all night from the hauling carts. (A. Koltsov) 33:54 Septembre (September): La chasse (Hunting) September It is time! The horns are sounding! The hunters in their hunting dress are mounted on their horses; in early dawn the borzois are jumping. (A. Pushkin, Graf Nulin) 36:55 Octobre (October): Chant d automne (Autumn Song) October Autumn, our poor garden is all falling down, the yellowed leaves are flying in the wind. (Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy) 43:32 Novembre (November): Troïka (Troika) November In your loneliness do not look at the road, and do not rush out after the troika. Suppress at once and forever the fear of longing in your heart. (Nikolay Nekrasov) 47:12 Décembre (December): Noël (Christmas) December Once upon a Christmas night the girls were telling fortunes: taking their slippers off their feet and throwing them out of the gate. (Vasily Zhukovsky)