This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve th is article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be ch allenged and removed. (March 2009) The Marche Slave in B-flat minor, Op. 31 (published as Slavonic March) or SerboRussian March (Serbian Cyrillic: ????????? ???? / ??????-????? ????, Slovenski m arsh / Srpsko-ruski marsh, Russian: ?????????? ???? / ???????-??????? ????, Slavy anskiy marsh / Serbsko-russkiy marsh) or Slavic March is an orchestral Tone poem by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky published on October 1876. The title "Marche Slave" , by which the piece is generally recognized in the West, is French, the languag e of culture in Tsarist Russia. Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 Instrumentation 3 Notable recordings 4 Legacy 5 See also 6 References 6.1 Sources 7 External links Background[edit] In June 1876, Serbia and the Ottoman Empire were engaged in the Serbo-Turkish Wa r (1876 78). Russia openly supported Serbia. The Russian Musical Society commissio ned an orchestral piece from Tchaikovsky for a concert in aid of the Red Cross S ociety, and ultimately for the benefit of wounded Serbian veterans.[1][2] Many R ussians sympathized with their fellow Slavs and Orthodox Christians and sent vol unteer soldiers and aid to assist Serbia. Tchaikovsky referred to the piece as his "Serbo-Russian March" while writing it. It was premiered in Moscow on November 17 [O.S. November 5] 1876, conducted by Nikolai Rubinstein. The march is highly programmatic in its form and organization. The first section describes the oppression of the Serbs by the Turkish. It uses two Serbian folk songs, "Sunce jarko, ne sija jednako" (Bright sun, you do not shine equally),[3][ 4] "Rado ide Srbin u vojnike" (Gladly does the Serb become a soldier),[5] giving way to the second section in the relative major key, which describes the Russia ns rallying to help the Serbs. This is based on a simple melody with the charact er of a rustic dance which is passed around the orchestra until finally it gives way to a solemn statement of the Russian national anthem "God Save the Tsar". T he third section of the piece is a repeat of Tchaikovsky's furious orchestral cl imax, reiterating the Serbian cry for help. The final section describes the Russ ian volunteers marching to assist the Serbs. It uses a Russian tune, this time i n the tonic major key and includes another blazing rendition of "God Save the Ts ar" prophesying the triumph of the Slavonic people over tyranny. The overture fi nishes with a virtuoso coda for the full orchestra. The piece shares a few refrains with the 1812 Overture, with which it is frequen tly paired in performance. Instrumentation[edit] The march is scored for two flutes, two piccolos, two oboes, two clarinets in B flat, two bassoons, four horns in F, two cornets in B flat, two trumpets in B fl at, three trombones (two tenor, one bass), tuba, three timpani, snare drum, cymb als, bass drum, tamtam, and strings. Notable recordings[edit]
Sir Adrian Boult conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Antal Dorti conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Bernard Haitink conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Leonard Slatkin conducting the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Leopold Stokowski conducting the London Symphony Orchestra Neeme Jrvi conducting the Gothenburg Symphony Leonard Bernstein conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra