{ 張亨來 }

I’ve been so busy these last few weeks that I’ve put off uploading Tchaikovsky’s piano piece for December until the very last minute. “December: Yuletide” sounds bright and merry (as opposed to forlorn and heavy as you’ll hear for March) because it’s in A flat major. I guess the holiday spirit outweighs even the bitter cold of Russian winters. You might also be inclined to waltz to this piece at times because it is in triple meter.

“December: Yuletide” is part of The Seasons (Op. 37a), a collection of twelve solo piano pieces. Each piece corresponds to a month of the year and reflects the mood of the season. Tchaikovsky had been commissioned by a St. Petersburg music magazine to write them. Overall, the pieces are characterized by their apparent melodies and simple ABA form.

Click here for last month’s piece - “November: On the Troika”, in A major.