6 Songs, Op. 63 (arr. violin and orchestra)

In many ways this 1887 set of six songs by Tchaikovsky stands in stark contrast to his Op. 57 collection, from 1884. The earlier collection is exclusively devoted to pain and loss in its texts, and its music is profoundly melancholy, even morbid. In this Op. 63 set, Tchaikovsky is mostly in good spirits, and even when he expresses sadness, as in the third item, "I Do Not Please You," the mood is still generally light, the music's dramatic impact soft.

All the songs in this group are settings of texts by the Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov. The first, "I Did Not Love You at First," is a buoyant love song whose charm and lightness are delightful. No. 2 in the set, "I Opened the Window," is a wistful song about longing for one's homeland. The ensuing item is the aforementioned "I Do Not Please You," probably the most serious effort in the collection. Its sad melody is consoling in its gentle beauty, but its ending, glacially paced, teeters to the brink of desperation.

No. 4, "The First Meeting," is vivacious and sunny, quite appropriate for the text about reuniting lovers. The ensuing item is the poignant "The Fires in the Room Were Already Out," about faded love. It is an attractive creation, but once again rather light in its expressive manner. The final member of the Op. 63 group is "Serenade," a beautiful song of gentle demeanor. In sum, this collection of Tchaikovsky songs is attractive and imaginatively wrought, but does not feature the melancholic depth of some of his other sets.

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