Tchaikovsky’s "The Seasons" cannot be considered a staple of the solo piano repertoire. The work was commissioned by the magazine "Nouvellist" (Нувеллист) in 1875, with one piece published each month in 1876, later collected into twelve “months.” The melodies are simple, the scale modest, and technically the pieces are not difficult; thus, they have often been regarded as “salon miniatures for the home.” Yet precisely because of their accessibility, the true challenge lies elsewhere: how to find genuine weight within these simple notes.
Surprisingly, in the past two years, two winners of major international piano competitions have chosen "The Seasons" for their recordings: Bruce Liu, winner of the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition, and Yunchan Lim, winner of the 2022 Van Cliburn Competition. The two released their albums one year apart. In contrast, Liu treats the work as a kind of “musical diary,” finding depth in quiet simplicity, while Lim transforms it into an allegory of “the final year of a human life.” This bold imagination has, unsurprisingly, divided critical opinion.
Lim’s Perspective: The Final Journey of a Year
In his liner notes, Lim states unequivocally: "The Seasons" depicts “the final year in a person’s life”. In this way, the twelve short pieces cease to be mere sketches of each month; instead, they are woven into a narrative of life approaching its end. For example:
January: By the Fireside – the fire gradually dies out. A man wavers between past and present, sometimes weeping, sometimes resigning himself. At last, as the bell tolls, he closes “a day that will never come again.” June: Barcarolle – the very heart of the cycle. A woman stands by the sea, ready to end her life. She gazes at the stars. Angels once encircled her with candlelight, but they vanish, leaving her alone; finally she sinks beneath the waves. October: Autumn Song – which Lim calls the “Black Pearl” of "The Seasons". The protagonist, walking through streets strewn with fallen leaves, pleads with a former lover not to leave. The melody, Lim writes, sings with a voice like Édith Piaf, expressing lost love and a solitary death. December: Christmas – the final farewell. The sleigh has already departed; the protagonist, left behind with regret, utters a last, decisive “goodbye.”
Thus, the original “calendar of months” is transformed into a full life story: from the fading embers of the hearth, through solitude and parting, to the irreversible darkness of death.
Criticism from the Music Press
What surprised me was that many Western critics—who had previously lavished praise on Lim—responded to this “final year of life” concept with notable reservations. Their objections fall into three main points:
1. Not aligned with the original intention "The Seasons" was composed as short monthly pieces for amateurs, with accompanying epigraphs chosen by the editor. They are closer to salon entertainments or lyrical miniatures, not existential allegories. Lim’s “last year of life” setting was seen by some as too heavy, diverging sharply from the music’s lighter nature.
2. Excessive personal projection Some reviewers argued that Lim imposed too much of his own narrative, “covering” the music with a story rather than letting it unfold naturally. This, they suggested, risks disconnecting from Tchaikovsky’s musical language.
3. Over-dramatization While the pieces carry folk charm and lyricism, overall they remain gentle, intimate music. Lim, however, fills them with suicide, death, and final farewells. Critics saw this as an alienation of Tchaikovsky.
In short, the dissenting view is that Lim’s reading is “too heavy, too personal,” not the Tchaikovsky they recognize.
The Value of Imagination
Yet looking back at Lim’s earlier path, his interpretive style has always been vividly “story-driven.” In his Chopin "Études" album, for instance, he attached specific images to each piece: the Big Bang and countless stars, the rage of Greeks at Paris abducting Helen, Shakespeare’s "Tempest", Rilke’s solitary poet…. These visions are far from Chopin’s own intent, but they offer striking new angles of approach.
Tchaikovsky’s "Seasons" are rooted in everyday life and are not among his grandest works. Perhaps for this reason, they are particularly open to redefinition. Lim’s “last year” concept elevates these simple melodies to another plane. Even if distant from the composer’s original purpose, it opens a new door for us. For me, this is not the Tchaikovsky I thought I knew, but such “over-interpretation” is precisely where art finds possibility. Music history is full of examples: Beethoven’s Sonata in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2, whose first movement recalls the death scene of the "Don Giovanni" Commendatore, was later renamed “Moonlight” by Ludwig Rellstab; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 is known as the “Revolution” only in East Asia… none of these images came from the composer’s mind, but from later layers of interpretation.
In this sense, I welcome "The Seasons" being reshaped by Lim into “an allegory of the last year of life.” It may not be the Tchaikovsky we know, but it is a young artist’s recreation. This recreation allows us to hear two voices: Liu’s "Seasons" as a quiet diary, and Lim’s as a dramatic allegory. Far from canceling each other out, they coexist, reminding us that a single score can live many lives.
For me, the issue is not what Lim imagines privately, but whether his notes can “say” something that convinces us. In this respect, his flexible tempo and shading in "March: Song of the Lark", his nuanced "May: White Nights", and the expressive power of "October: Autumn Song" all merit admiration.
Conclusion: "The Seasons" Reborn
Tchaikovsky’s "The Seasons" began as modest monthly sketches. Now, in the hands of Liu and Lim, they diverge into two very different paths: the former seeking depth in simplicity, the latter building allegory from miniatures. Lim makes us hear not twelve months, but the final journey of a soul. His vision may not fit the composer’s historical background, but it offers a shockingly powerful possibility: that music itself can become a parable of life and death.
This idea is embodied visually on the album cover. Korean painter Ho-yeon Choi created "How Much Do the Petals Weigh?" at Lim’s request, using the lightness and heaviness of petals as symbols of life’s paradox. The artwork mirrors Lim’s allegory of the “final year.” Thus, the album addresses multiple audiences: experts can probe its structure and detail, while newcomers can follow the story and imagery to grasp the music’s inner world. This is the true revelation of "The Seasons": the same score can embody countless lives—and Lim’s version opens a new window for us.
TCHAIKOVSKY The Seasons Yunchan Lim (piano) 31 July & 1 August 2024, The Menuhin Hall, Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey, England
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