Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky(1840-1893)
By Alessandro Kovacs
Tchaikovsky's Early life
Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840 in Russia's Urals. He lived in a bright yellow mansion at the water's edge. Unlike other composers, his family members were not particularly talented or famous in the musical industry .Tchaikovsky was a sensitive child. In 1843 his mother assigned a governess named Fanny Dürbeck, a 22 year old Protestant to to help with her childrens education. When Fanny was working with Tchaikovsky, she realized his sensitivity and giftedness, calling him a child of glass.
Where He Lived
Tchaikovsky lived in a yellow mansion is the Ural mountains on the waters edge for his childhood. The Tchaikovsky house was full of people, with more than ten Tchaikovsky residents. During his childhood, Pytor loved his mother with all his heart but unfortunately for Tchaikovsky his mother was a cold hearted and distant woman. She was rather self absorbed and did not even show physical shows of affection to any of her children. His mother did not like to live in that house, and wanted only to go to the big city of St. Petersburg. Later she left the home for St. Petersburg and Tchaikovsky was devistated
Lang Lang plays Tchaikovsky : Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Opus 23 [HD]
Tchaikovsky's work
For most composers, usually there last piece or close to first piece is one of there best. In Tchaikovsky's case, his first piano concerto can be considered as his gem of all his work. Tchaikovsky was not a specialized pianist so he went to Nicolay Rubenstein which was a virtuoso pianist, to look over his concerto and give him advice. When Nicolay played it, he didn't like it at all. He said it was extremely hard to play and it was relatively uneven. When he heard this, Tchaikovsky was furious and decided to not dedicate the piece to Nicolay but rather to Hans von Bulow who was a pianist and conductor who performed the piece the first time in Boston in 1875. From its first showing, it was extremely popular.
Other known music
- Swan Lake
- Romeo and Juliet
- 1812 Overture
- Nutcracker Suite
Tchaikovsky's Legacy
Since Pitor Ilych Tchaikovsky at his young years, developed a strong passion for music. His musical pieces for ballets used for Swan lake and Romeo Juliet are still very popular among ballets. He has left sensitive pieces such as The Nutcracker Suite to passionate battle pieces for Russia such as The 1812 Overture. Tchaikovsky was a sensitive person and respected the beauty of music, and the way we see this is through his music.
Citations
MrOsomatsu. "Lang Lang plays Tchaikovsky : Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Opus 23 [HD]." Youtube. N.p., 13 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W1_shm7vdE&feature=youtu.be>.
Pyotr Il'ych Tchaikovsky's house at Votkinsk where he was born.. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 17 Mar 2016.
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Tchaikovsky in 1874 Russian.. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 17 Mar 2016.
<http://quest.eb.com/search/113_906081/1/113_906081/cite>