Imitative forms in the sacred music of P. I. Tchaikovsky

Abstract

This article explores imitative polyphony in Pyotr Tchaikovsky's cycles “The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom”, “All-Night Vigil”, and “Nine Sacred Musical Works”. The composer made extensive use of various polyphonic forms: simple and double imitations, endless canons and canonic sequences, and fugato, with the proportion of polyphony increasing in the final cycle. Drawing on the traditions of the classical Russian choral concerto, Tchaikovsky sought to break from the school norms, allowing for intonation changes in rispostas and considerable freedom in the intervals of imitation in fugal constructions. A striking feature of Tchaikovsky's texture is the close interaction of polymelodic and imitative presentation.

Keywords

P. I. Tchaikovsky, sacred music, “Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom”, “All-Night Vigil”, “Nine Sacred Pieces”, imitative forms, polyphony

For citation

Plotnikova, Natal'ya Yu. 2025. “Imitative forms in the sacred music of P. I. Tchaikovsky.” Zhurnal Obshchestva teorii muzyki / Journal of the Music Theory Society no. 4 (December), 47–62. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.26176/otmroo.2025.52.4.005