Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky(1840-1893)
By: Chinoyelum Aniagboso
Tchaikovsky's Life
Tchaikovsky was born on May 7th, 1840. He grew up in Votkinsk, Russia. When he was 8 years old his family moved to the capital city , St.Petersburg. He went went to law school but continued to study music. For years, Tchaikovsky had a patroness named Nadezhda von Meck , a wealthy widow who was a big fan of Tchaikovsky's music. She regularly sent him money so that he could concentrate on composing without having to worry about making a living. But Nadezhda von Meck didn't want to meet Tchaikovsky. For 13 years, they only communicated by writing letters to each other. Tchaikovsky dedicated his Fourth Symphony to his patroness.
Moving around Russia
Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, then he moved to Moscow with his family because his mother found a good job there for Tchaikovsky. In 1848 his family moved again to St.Petersburg.
P. I. Tchaikovsky - Ballet "Swan Lake" (excerpts), Op. 20 (Fedoseyev)
One of His Pieces of Music: Swan Lake
Swan Lake premiered in 1877, but it did get into a good start. The dancers for this music complained that the score was undanceable, and that the production was overall poor quality. This piece was not interested by until after his death.
Other Known Music
- Swan Lake
- Piano Concerto No.1
- Romeo and Juliet
- Symphony No.4
- Nutcracker
- 1812 Overture