This charming collection comprises twelve short pieces, one for each month of the year. The album considers the passage of time, with its joys and its darker moments, whilst a nostalgic remembrance of childhood also resonates through the music. The evocative subtitles of the sketches include At the Fireside, The Hunt, Barcarolle, Autumn Song and Troika (Sleigh Ride).

The collection was composed between November 1875 and May 1876 at the request of Nikolay Matveyevich Bernard, the publisher of Le Nouvelliste, a monthly music magazine in St. Petersburg. Alexander Goedicke, a Russian composer of the early 20th century and one of the great Russian organists of his time, made this arrangement of the Seasons for piano trio. Trio Zadig considers this cycle to be one of Tchaikovsky’s major works.

Stéphane Varupenne here adds a magically childlike aspect to the cycle by reading one poem for each month of the year. These verses can be charming, lyrical, subtle, and even melancholic, with a typically Russian character that Stéphane takes pleasure in imparting. Each piece seems to begin with the words 'Once upon a time…'

If you would prefer to download a version without the poetry readings you can do so here.