La festa dei moccoletti a Roma (Shrove Tuesday of the Roman Carnival, in Via del Corso) / Jean Louis Baptiste Thomas (1817)

Tchaikovsky married in 1877 and quickly regretted it. He spent three years trying to escape the consequences, either staying in the countryside or leaving Russia entirely. The quality of his compositions suffered even longer.

In November 1879, Tchaikovsky and his brother Modeste escaped Russia, traveling to Italy via Berlin and Paris. The recent death of his father and the 25th anniversary of the death of his mother further added to his turmoil.

Tchaikovsky had a special love for Italy. He wrote to his patroness Nadezhda von Meck, “This country is a gift of God!”

Among the advantages over Russia (or Paris, where he had spent some winters), Rome offered sunny blue skies and mild temperatures where he didn’t need a heavy coat.

It also offered beautiful scenery, fascinating Roman ruins, and music on every street.

Composition of Capriccio italien

The carnival season served as his inspiration to compose Capriccio italien. He wrote to von Meck, “When you carefully look at the public raging on the [Via del] Corso, you are convinced that no matter how strangely the joy of the local crowd manifests itself, it is nevertheless sincere and unconstrained.”

Although Tchaikovsky didn’t entirely appreciate the way the Italians celebrated carnival, it gave him a temporary lift from his chronic depression.

In January 1880, Tchaikovsky wrote to Sergey Taneyev, “I want to write an Italian suite on folk melodies,” and to von Meck, “I have begun to make sketches for an Italian Fantasia on folk themes. I want to write something in the manner of Glinka’s Spanish Fantasia.”

When he returned to Russia in May, he began to orchestrate it and prepared an arrangement for piano four hands. At some point, he decided to change the title from Fantasia to Capriccio.

According to Modeste, his hotel in Rome was located next to the cavalry barracks. Each day started with a bugle call. So Capriccio italien begins with the same bugle call. As for the rest of the themes, Tchaikovsky claimed, “It will be effective, thanks to its delightful tunes, some of which were chosen from collections, and some of which I heard myself on the streets.”

Besides the opening fanfare, only one of the five tunes has been identified. The tarantella section is based on an Italian folk tune called “Cicuzza.”

For something called a capriccio, the theme that follows the fanfare is remarkably dolorous, with an almost ominous accompaniment. Could it possibly represent Tchaikovsky’s habitual melancholy? In any case, a celebratory mood soon takes over, and even though the dark theme returns later on, most of the piece is a light-hearted romp.

Reception of Capriccio italien

Peter Tchaikovsky / OLeg Idonoa, digital watercolor from a fragment of painting by Nikolai Kuznetsov (1893). via Flickr

The premiere took place in Moscow under the direction of Nikolai Rubinstein.  “Its success was incontestable,” Tchaikovsky wrote to von Meck, “although criticism varied greatly as to its merits, and the least favorable described it as being marred by `coarse and cheap’ effects. In St. Petersburg, where it was given a few weeks later, it met with scant appreciation.”

For example, César Cui noted, “The Capriccio is certainly no work of art, but it is a valuable gift to the programs of open-air concerts.”  But here’s what Tchaikovsky thought of Cui: “Cui is a gifted amateur. His music is not original, but it is graceful and elegant. We cannot deny that he is talented.”

Capriccio italien is a minor work in Tchaikovsky’s output, but it makes a better impression than many of his other works during this time. It allowed him to relax and ignore his emotional turmoil. Most of the effect comes from the colorful orchestration. It’s easy for critics to dismiss its thin musical quality, but not every piece on a program must be a masterpiece. Audiences still enjoy it.

Sources:

Italian capriccio / Tchaikovsky Research
Roman holiday: Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio italien / Calvin Dotsey, Houston Symphony Orchestra. August 23, 2019
Tchaikovsky’s Italian rendezvous / Anna Novikova, Our Russia. March 9, 2016
Youth Orchestra spring concert program notes / Charley Samson, Oakland Symphony Orchestra. 2016