List of compositions by César Cui

The following is a list of compositions by the Russian composer César Cui.

  • Titles of overall works are supplied in English unless the non-Russian original is distinctive in some way. Russian titles are added where helpful and applicable. Years in parentheses refer to the composition dates, not publishing dates.
  • Complete listings of individual numbers within a larger work are not given, although certain well-known or recorded selections are cited. For important selections within an opera, go to the Wikipedia article for that opera, listed below and on the Wikipedia category-page for Cui's operas.
  • Many individual compositions by Cui (primarily songs and choral pieces) have been published over the years, especially in English and French editions, without information as to opus number, if any. In order to avoid inaccuracy and unnecessary clutter, only those pieces that verifiably do not belong to an opus are included below along with the works with established opus numbers.
Portrait of César Cui by Ilya Repin, 1890, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

(Note: Cui's compositions, especially from the end of his life, remain in manuscript in the Russian National Library; likewise with the full orchestral scores of several of the operas. The recent publications of the last of Cui's instrumental works (Opp. 104–106) has addressed the research gap in his unknown works.)

Opera edit

Serious or tragic opera edit

Comic or light opera edit

Children's opera edit

Completion of operas begun by others edit

Choral edit

A cappella unless otherwise marked.

Sacred choral edit

  • Ave Maria, Op. 34, for 1-2 women's voices with piano or harmonium (1886)
  • Three Psalms, Op. 80, for mixed voices (1910)
  • Song of the Most Holy Theotokos [Песнь Пресвятыя Богородицы = Pesn' presvjatyja bogorodicy] (i.e. the Russian Orthodox Magnificat), Op. 93, for soprano solo and mixed voices (1914)

Secular choral and part-song edit

  • Two Choruses to Words by Pushkin, Op. 4, for mixed voices with orchestra (1860)
  • Chorus mysticus trium vocum muliebrium (Mystical Chorus) [Мистический хор = Mističeskij khor], op. 6, for women's voices and orchestra or piano, text from Dante's Purgatorio (1871)
  • Seven Choruses, Op. 28, for mixed voices (1885)
  • Les oiseaux d'Argenteau, for children's voices (1887)
  • Five Choruses, Op. 46, for mixed voices (1893)
  • Six Choruses, Op. 53, for mixed voices (1895)
  • Seven Little Duet-Choruses, Op. 101, for children's or women's voices, (1899) (not published)
  • Zwei Lieder, op. 58, for men's voices (1901)
  • Seven Vocal Quartets, Op. 59, for mixed voices (1901)
  • Six Choruses, Op. 63, for mixed voices (1903)
  • Seven Little Choruses on texts by Belousov, Op. 77 (1908)
  • Thirteen Choruses, Op. 85, for women's and children's voices with piano (1911)
  • Nine Vocal Quartets, Op. 88, for men's voices (1911–1912)
  • March of the Russian Falcons [Марш русских соколов = Marsh russkikh sokolov], for mixed voices with piano (1912)
  • Cantata in Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of the Reign of the House of the Romanovs, 1613–1913, Op. 89, for mixed voices with orchestra or piano (1913)
  • Your Poetic Art [Твой стих = Tvoj stikh], Cantata in Memory of M.Yu. Lermontov, Op. 96, for mixed voices with orchestra or piano (1914)
  • They're Marching ["Идут" = "Idut"], for men's voices (1914)

Orchestral and band music edit

Orchestra edit

(Note: most of the orchestral works were issued also in arrangements for piano four-hands.)

  • Scherzo No. 1, based on the letters B.A.B.E.G and C.C., Op. 1 (1857) (originally for piano 4-hands)
  • Scherzo No. 2, "à la Schumann", Op. 2 (1857) (originally for piano 4-hands)
  • Tarantelle, Op. 12 (1858) (also adapted for piano by Franz Liszt)
  • Marche solennelle, Op. 18 (1881)
  • Suite-miniature (Suite No. 1), Op. 20; orchestration of nos. 10, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 12 from original piano version
  • Suite No. 2, Op. 38 (1887)
  • Suite No. 4, à Argenteau (1887); orchestration (by Alexander Glazunov) of nos. 1, 5, 4, 8, and 9 from the original piano version
  • In modo populari: Petite Suite No. 3, Op. 43 (1890)
  • Waltz, Op. 65 (1904)
  • Three Scherzos, Op. 82 (1910)

Soloist with orchestra edit

(also available with piano accompaniment)

Band edit

  • Glory [Слава = Slava], march for military wind orchestra (1915).

Chamber music edit

Solo vocal edit

(For voice and piano unless otherwise noted.)

Art songs and duets edit

  • Three Romances, Op. 3, (1856–1857) (Includes one duet)
  • I remember an evening [Я помню вечер = Ja pomnju večer] (1857)
  • Six Romances, Op. 5, (1857–1861)
  • From my tears [Из слез моих = Iz slez moikh] (1858)
  • Six Romances, Op. 7 (1867–1869); includes:
    • 2. What I dream about secretly in the quiet of night [О чем в тиши ночей таинственно мечтаю = O čem v tiši nočej tainstvenno mečtaju]
    • 3. Aeolian harps: "A drought... the air sleeps" [Эоловы арфи: "Засуха... Воздух спит" = 'Eolovy arfi: "Zasukha... vozdukh spit"]
  • Six Romances, Op. 9 (1870–1874)
  • Six Romances, Op. 10 (1870–1876); includes:
    • 3. It was getting dark, the torrid day imperceptibly grows pale [Смеркалось, жаркий день бледнел неуловимо = Smerkalos', žarkij den' blednel neulovimo]
  • Six Romances, Op. 11 (1877)
    • 2. Moja pieszczotka [Моя баловница = Moja balovnica]
  • Six Romances, Op. 13 (1878)
  • Six Romances, Op. 16 (1879)
  • Bolero, Op. 17, for soprano voice with piano or orchestra (1881)
  • Seven Romances and Duets, Op. 19 (1881)
  • Six Mélodies, Op. 23 (1884)
  • Six Romances, Op. 27 (1884)
  • Septain (1885)
  • Sept Mélodies, Op. 32 (1886)
  • Seven Poems of A. Pushkin and M. Lermontov, Op. 33 (1885–1886)
    • 3. I loved you [Я вас любил = Ja vas ljubil]
    • 4. The burnt letter: "Farewell, love-letter, farewell" [Сожженное письмо : "Прощай, письмо любви, прощай" = Sožženoe pis'mo: " Proščaj, pis'mo ljubvi, proščaj"]
  • Drei Lieder, Op. 37 (1886)
  • Les adieux de Guyot-Dessaigne: Lamento (1889)
  • Les deux ménétriers, Op. 42 (1890); also orchestrated
  • Vingt poèmes de Jean Richepin, Op. 44 (1890); includes:
    • 1. Berceuse : "Dors, mon fieux, dors"
    • 5. Le ciel est transi
    • 12. Le hun : "Vole, o cavale folle!"
    • 19. Les Songeants : "Dans le pays on les appelait les Songeants"
  • Four Romances, Op. 47 (1892) (manuscript as of 1894; never published?)
  • Cztery sonety (= Four Sonnets), Op. 48 (1892)
  • Seven Romances, Op. 49 (1889–1892); includes:
    • 1. I touched a flower [Коснулась я цветка
    • 3. A cloudlet: "A storm-cloudlet rushed by over the field" [Тучка: "Пронеслась над полем тучка грозовая" = Tučka: "Proneslas' nad polem tučka grozovaja"]
    • 5. Walsingham's hymn: "When mighty winter" [Гимн Вальсингама: "Когда могучая зима" = Gimn Val'singama: "Kogda mogučaja zima"] (incorporated later into the opera Feast in Time of Plague)
    • 6. Why is it, my darling [Отчего это, милая = Otčego 'eto, milaja]
  • Cinq mélodies pour chant et piano, Op. 54 (ca. 1890 or 1895?); includes:
    • 5. Ici bas tous les lilas meurent
  • Eight Romances, Op. 55 ca. 1890; includes
    • 2. Mary's song: "There was a time" [Песня Мэри: "Было время" = Pesnja M'eri: "Bylo vremja"] (incorporated later into the opera Feast in Time of Plague)
  • 25 Poems by Pushkin [25 стихотворений Пушкина = 25 stikhotvoreniy puškina], Op. 57 (1899); includes:
    • 4. It's all over [Все кончено = Vse končeno]
    • 7. The statue at Tsarskoye Selo: "Having dropped an urn of water" [Царскосельская статуя: "Урну с водой уронив" = Carskosel'skaja statuja: "Urnu s vodoj uroniv"]
    • 11. Thou and you: "The empty 'you' with the heartfelt 'thou'" [Ты и вы : "Пустое вы, сердечным ты" = Ty i vy: "Pustoe vy, serdečnym ty"]
    • 25. Desire: "Slowly my days drag on" [Желание: "Медлительно влекутся дни мои" = Želanie: "Medlitel'no vlekutsja dni moi"]
  • Szesc piesni [Six Polish songs] (1902)
  • Twenty-One Poems of N. A. Nekrasov, Op. 62 (1902) (No. 21 is for mixed voices a cappella)
  • Echos of War 1904–1905: ten romances, op. 66 (1904–1905); includes:
    • 4. Spring-Beauty: "A wandering pilgrim met" (a bylina) [Весна-красна: "Повстречал перехожий калика" (былина) = Vesna-krasna: "Povstrečal perekhožij kalika" (bylina)] (also with orchestral accompaniment)
  • Eighteen Poems of A. K. Tolstoy, Op. 67 (1904); includes:
    • 1. Oh, if Mother-Volga started to run backwards [Ой, кабы Волга-матушка да вспять побежала = Oj, kaby Volga-matuška spjat' pobežala]
  • Six Poems of A. Mickiewicz, Op. 71 (1907)
  • Neuf mélodies, Op. 72 (ca. 1906–1910)
  • Seven Poems of Armenian Poets, Op. 75 (1907)
    • 3. A dream: "I heard a mellifluous melody" [Сон : "Я услышал напев сладкозвучный = "Son: Ja uslyšal napev sladkosvučnyj"]
  • Six Poems of Ya.P. Polonsky, Op. 76 (1908)
  • Twenty-Four Poems, Op. 86 (by 1913); includes:
    • 4. Es blasen die blauen Husaren
    • 24. In memory of V.V. Stasov: "No, he his not dead! No!" [Памяти В.В. Стасова: "Нет, он не умер! Нет!" = Pamjati V.V. Stasova: "Net, on ne umer! Net!"]
  • Musical Miniatures, Humoresques, [and] Letters, Op. 87 (1913)
  • Five Fables of I. Krylov, Op. 90 (1913)
  • Strike the Teuton [Вейте тевтона = Bejte tevtona] (1914)
  • Trzech Budrysów: ballada [Budrys and his sons: ballade], Op. 98, for solo voice and orchestra, Op. 98 (1915) (also with piano accompaniment)
  • Six Songs of the Western Slavs by A. S. Pushkin (based on Cuzla by Prosper Mérimée), Op. 99, for voice and symphony orchestra (1915) (also with piano accompaniment)
  • "La bataille" [date unknown].

Children's songs edit

  • Thirteen Musical Pictures, Op. 15, for voice and piano (1877–1878); includes:
    • 6. Christ is Risen: "Everywhere the ringing of church bells is droning" [Христос воскрес: "Повсюду благовесть гудит"]
  • Seventeen Children's Songs, Op. 73 (1907)
  • Seventeen More Children's Songs, Op. 78 (1909–1910)
  • Last Seventeen Children's Songs, Op. 97 (1914–1915)

Keyboard instrument edit

Solo piano (two-hands) edit

  • Three Pieces, Op. 8 (1877)
  • Twelve Miniatures, Op. 20 (1882); also arranged for violin and piano, [http://hdl.handle.net/1802/4270 score at Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection]; selections later orchestrated as orchestral Suite No. 1.
  • Suite, Op. 21 (1883); (dedicated to Liszt)
  • Four Pieces, Op. 22 (1883)
  • Valse-Caprice, Op. 26 (1883)
  • Deux Bluettes, Op. 29 (1886)
  • Two Polonaises, Op. 30 (1886)
  • Three Waltzes, Op. 31 (1886)
  • Three Impromptus, Op. 35 (1886)
  • Six/Seven Miniatures, Op. 39 (1886); also arranged for violin and piano] (1880), [http://hdl.handle.net/1802/4271 score at Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection]
  • À Argenteau, collection of 9 characteristic pieces, Op. 40 (1887); 5 selections orchestrated as Suite No. 4
  • Trois mouvements de valse, Op. 41 (1888)
  • Petite prélude [no. 1] (1888) (later arranged for violin and piano as No. 17 of Kaleidoscope, Op. 50)
  • Petite prélude no. 2 (1889)
  • Five Pieces, Op. 52 (1895)
  • Impromptu-caprice (1896?).
  • Four Pieces, Op. 60 (1901)
  • Theme and Variations, Op. 61 (1901)
  • Twenty-Five Preludes, Op. 64 (1904)
  • Two Mazurkas, Op. 70 (1907)
  • Three Mazurkas, Op. 79 (1909)
  • Five Pieces, Op. 83 (1911); includes:
    • 5. Rêverie d'un faune, après la lecture de son journal
  • Trois esquisses mélodiques, Op. 92 (1913)
  • Trois mouvements de danse, Op. 94 (1914)
  • Five Pieces, Op. 95 (1914)
  • Eighteen Variations, Op. 100 (1916) (manuscript; not published)
  • Thème et variations. Prelude pour piano, op. 104 (1916) (manuscript; not published)
  • Petite sonatine, Op. 106 (1916) (manuscript; not published)
  • Three pieces ("from the last years", published in 1952 in a Soviet edition)

One or two pianos, four-hands edit

  • Scherzo No. 1, based on the letters B.A.B.E.G and C.C., Op. 1 (1857) (later orchestrated)
  • Scherzo No. 2, "à la Schumann", Op. 2 (1857) (later orchestrated)
  • Contributions of 5 variations and a waltz to the Paraphrases, a collection of pieces by Borodin, Cui, Liadov, Liszt, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Nikolai Vladimirovich Shcherbachov (originally published in 1879, with pieces added later to total 24 variations and 17 other pieces); the two-finger theme of this work is known also as "Tati-tati" or a version of "Chopsticks"
  • Three pieces, Op. 69 (1907) (2 pianos)
  • Ten Five-Finger Pieces, Op. 74 (1906?)

Organ or harmonium edit

  • Prelude in G minor (1913)
  • Prelude in A-flat Major (1913)

Works by opus number (abbreviated) edit

Chronological list of works without opus number edit

Bibliography edit

The above list was compiled from many sources, including exemplars of most of the printed scores themselves. Some of the more important existing lists of Cui's works are contained in the following, although each has its own limitations:

  • Findeizen, Nikolai Feodorovich. "Библиографический указатель музыкальных произведений и критических статей Ц.А.Кюи" [Bibliographic List of Musical Compositions and Critical Articles by C. A. Cui], Артист [Moscow], nos. 34, 35 (1894), pp. 16–28, 34-44.
  • Neef, Sigrid. Die Russischen Fünf: Balakirew, Borodin, Cui, Mussorgski, Rimski-Korsakow. Berlin: E. Kuhn, 1992.
  • Norris, Geoffrey and Neff, Lyle. "Cui, César [Kyui, Tsezar' Antonovich]," Grove Music Online. Ed. L. Macy.
  • Прижизненные издания произведений Композиторов “Могучей кучки”, хранящиеся в Государственной публичной библиотека имени М.Е. Салтыкова-Щедрина: каталог. [Editions of Compositions by "The Mighty Handful" Published in Their Lifetimes, Kept in the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library: A Catalog.] Ленинград: Гос. публичная библиотека им. М.Е. Салтыкова-Щедрина, 1990.

Other information on identifying and dating Cui's works can be found in these sources:

  • Cui, César. Избранные письма [Selected Letters]. Ленинград: Гос. муз. изд-во, 1955.
  • Mercy-Argenteau, La Comtesse de. César Cui: esquisse critique. Paris: Fischbacher, 1888.

External links edit