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Pieces Guide

lensky’s aria

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

lensky’s aria

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840-1893

Why Choose Lensky’s Aria by Peter Tchaikovsky?

Listening to a vocal interpretation of this Aria is so helpful to understanding this musically. The Aria calls for a very operatic approach, a full tone and plenty of drama. It also explores colours and the full range of the flute. This is a wonderful work to develop tone, explore telling a story and use colours emotively.

The Guide: Lensky’s Aria by Peter Tchaikovsky

Backing Track

Sheet Music

Lensky's Aria by Peter Tchaikoxsky

LENSKY ARIA SHEET music link to purchase, still in copyright

Background

Lensky’s Aria is from Peter IIyich Tchaikovsky’s 1879 opera Eugene Onegin based on Pushkin’s novel of the same name.
For more on Tchaikovsky here is a profile:
Click Here

The Story
Onegin, a Russian socialite whilst attending a ball with his friend Lensky, becomes an object of enchantment for a young woman named Tatyana. She is the sister of Lensky’s fiancée Olga and when Tatyana declares her love for Onegin in a letter, he spurns her. Onegin later attends
Tatyana’s name day celebration and in a fit of revenge over the gossip he overhears, he flirts with Olga and precipitates a duel with Lensky.

The Scene
The Aria is set on the banks of a wooded stream in Russia the night before Lensky is due to duel. Lensky is filled with reflection, passion, regret and fear and anguish.

The Piece
The opening Adagio sostenuto e doloroso is expressing “where, where, where have you gone, my golden day of spring?” This refection on the past is embellished with a melodic and very expressive cadenza ending with a beautiful operatic sigh before leading into the Andante section.
The Andante sostenuto is filled with anticipation of what is coming Lensky’s way with the duel.
”What does the coming day hold for me?” The melody is full of richness and passion as it weaves its way through heartfelt love, regret, and fear. Full operatic phrasing and tone is required here.
The Piu mosso e agitato reflects what might happen the next day in the duel “when sunbeams part in the morning, and the bright day reigns, will I, perhaps, might descend into mysterious darkness of my tomb?” this section definitely reflects a questioning quality and builds to an emotional and dramatic climax with the high C on the flute. Here he realises he is going to die the next day. The short Lento section “the world shall forget me, but you , you Olga!?” Is a desperate sigh by Lensky of a love lost and what might have been?
Tempo 1 “Ah Olga, I did love you, to you alone I devoted the gloomy dawn of my troubled life”.
Here the Melody recaps with a deeper passion and declaration of love leading into the Largamente which is full of depth, romance and passion, then the appassionato “yes, Olga, I did love you!” Sighs with a declaration that he loved Olga before easing into the Tranquillo “where, oh where have you gone?” which winds gently down to an exhausted sigh and acceptance concluding on the held final note.

Reference Recordings

My favourite with Pavol Breslik. I love his interpretation and expression.

with Sergei Lemeshev

 Beautiful recording 2008 of Placido Domingo

Recommended Development Tools

The following are some recommended studies, tone and exercises which will assist in improving different skills to get the most out of this piece.

24 Little Melodic Studies by Marcel Moyse

  • Number 1
  • Number 4
  • Number 6
  • Number 8
  • Number 10
  • Number 11
  • Number 13
  • Number 14
  • Number 16
  • Number 17
  • Number 19

Tone Development through Interpretation by Marcel Moyse

  • Number 11
  • Number 33
  • Number 38
  • Number 39
  • Number 40
  • Number 47 A
  • Number 65
  • Number 71
  • Page 74 20G, 21G
  • Page 76 A1, A2, A3, A4
  • Page 78 D1, D2, D3, D4
  • Page 79 E1, E2, E3, E4