Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Yeeun S.
Early Life of Tchaikovsky
Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840 in Votkinsk, Russia. Tchaikovsky was a soft-hearted boy and loved his mother dearly. He had six siblings, four brothers and two sisters. Tchaikovsky's mother loved the french culture and hired a governess to teach the children. Fanny Dürback was a 22 year old French Protestant who was a major influence on Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky was very patriotic and loved his country dearly.
Miserable time at St. Petersburg
Tchaikovsky and his family moved to St. Petersburg in November 1848. There Piotr and his brother Nikolay were enrolled for Schmelling School. Tchaikovsky hated the school. The school went on from 8 am each morning to about 5 in the afternoon. Tchaikovsky often stayed up late late to finish his homework and were bullied by the other students in the school. Then for a period of time, be became ill and when he got better he was sent to a preparatory school.
P. I. Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 23 (Pletnev, Fedoseyev)
Piano Concerto No. 1
Tchaikovsky was not a professional pianist so when he composed this he went to his friend in the Moscow conservatory, Nikolay Rubinstein. When Nikolay first heard this piece, he disliked it very much. He said it was uneven and difficult. Tchaikovsky was disappointed and instead of dedicating the music to Nikolay, he dedicated it to Hans von Bülow who preformed the concerto in 1875 for the first time.
Other Music by Tchaikovsky
- Swan Lake
- Romeo and Juliet
- Nutcracker Suite
- 1812 Overture
- The Fourth Symphony
Tchaikovsky's Legacy
Tchaikovsky was a great composer and unlike the composers like Beethoven and Mozart, his songs were soft and gentle. He was gifted in music and was able to turn a play into a piece of music (Romeo and Juliet). Even though he went through a lot of hardships, he still compose songs. We still listen to his songs like the Nutcracker during the winter seasons and we still cherish his music today.
Work Cited
- Aknin, Joseph. "P. I. Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 23 (Pletnev, Fedoseyev)." YouTube. N.p., 31 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2016 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uoR76XEVPY>.
- Map of St Petersburg, 1834. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 16 Mar 2016. <http://quest.eb.com/search/143_2071210/1/143_2071210/cite>
- Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Russian composer. Tchaikovsky seated in chair, elbow on table, head on hand. Portrait Music Romantic Musician. Photography. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 16 Mar 2016. <http://quest.eb.com/search/300_2281243/1/300_2281243/cite>