PlayPiano
The short answer
Christmas-Tide closes a musical year. December-Christmas Opus 37 No. 12 is a character piece by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 7, an estimate.
- character piece
- Romantic
- joyful
History
December, "Christmas-Tide", is No. 12 in The Seasons. Tchaikovsky's twelve piano pieces appeared month by month in Nuvellist in 1876.
Sources
What to listen for
Calm surrounds activity in the trio
Hear the active passage between calmer stretches within the trio.
A swell gives way to restraint
Listen through the coda’s swell to its restrained ending.
How to practise it
Let the held melody sit above a light waltz foundation.
- Practise the upper phrase alone, then add inner notes softly.
- Practise the lower bass-to-chord pattern with lighter later beats.
- Connect the examined phrase at a comfortable tempo while keeping its stated layers and releases distinct.
How hard is it
Level 7, estimated
Waltz character and changing textures require buoyant coordination, clear melodic projection and controlled contrasts across extended phrases.
About this piece
- Collection
- Small scenes, big imagination
- Licence
- Public Domain Mark
- Source
- musescore.com
More by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Old French SongLevel 3, estimatedWith Maestro
- The Seasons: JanuaryLevel 6, estimatedWith Maestro
- DoumkaLevel 9, estimatedWith Maestro
