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27 Jan 2012

Track: January: By the Hearth
Artist: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (composer) / Vladimir Ashkenazy (performer)
Album: Tchaikovsky: The Seasons

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The Seasons (Op. 37a) is a collection of twelve solo piano pieces written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. 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.

I’ve been uploading these short songs each month since the spring, and this month’s piece is “January: By the Hearth”. “January” is pleasant-sounding in its A major key and easy-going in terms of tempo. The melody isn’t as distinctive or memorable as June’s or November’s, but it does have the flavor of winter to it.

Click here for last month’s piece - “December: Yuletide”, in A flat major.