Today is Tchaikovsky’s birthday (1840 May 7 - 1893 Nov 6). Happy birthday to my most favorite composer!
The Seasons [Op 37b, a piano miniature collection] were commissioned from Tchaikovsky by the publisher Nikolay Bernard, for publication in his journal Nuvellist (Нувеллист), which was issued on the first day of each month.
It was composed almost same time with Swan Lake. Each piece is a different month of a year of Russia.
May is title White Night, where in St Petersburg there are only two hours of darkness at the time. The publisher got approved from Tchaikovsky and put epigraph for each piece:
No. 5. White Nights (May):
What a night! What bliss is all about!
I thank my native north country!
From the kingdom of ice and snow,
How fresh and clean May flies in!
Alex Burns has a beautiful interpretation:
Set in G major and marked Andantino, this slow and thoughtful month welcomes the height of spring into its arms. Led by the upper register of the piano, the sweet melody shows the composer’s softer style of writing. Coloured with nuanced dissonances throughout, the largely tonal piece is led by quick changes to show a change in character. The faster central section shows urgency, whereas the opening showed anything but. As the intensity grows, the piano reaches the climax of the music before slowly drawing back down to the slower and quieter opening section.