Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovksy
1840 - 1893 Connor Owens
Early Life
Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russia in 1840. His mothers name was Ilya Tchaikovsky and his father was Ilya Petrovich. Tchaikovsky had a very influential role model in his early years her name was Fanny. Tchaikovsky was born into a wealthy family who could afford to send him to a very good school. So in 1850 he attended the prestigous school of jurisprudence located in St. Petersburg. He was very emotional about going but his parents forced him to stay. Then in 1854 his mother died of cholera and the trauma caused by the event, he could never fully recover from.
Map of Russia
Tchaikovsky was born here in a small town. In his later life he traveled all over Russia and Europe. He spread his music throughout these places as he traveled to showcase his musical pieces. He was very homesick most of the time when he traveled between Russia and Europe. Tchaikovsky in 1893 died in St. Petersburg russia just a few months after getting a glimpse of the future of Russian music.
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker Suite, Op 71a
Tchaikovsky's Music
Tchaikovsky wrote many pieces of music ranging from piano concertos to symphonies. The specific piece the Nutcracker is a very famous piece as it is used in many different plays and musicals today. Tchaikovsky when first starting the project didn't like it but increasingly he became more wiling to do it. It is an adaptation of the tale The Nutcracker and the King of Mice. He incorporated a new instrument the celeste as he thought it sounded "heavenly" to him so he put it in the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. The song is very cheery and upbeat with a moderate tempo that gives it a feeling of playfulness along with loud pitches and drops it can also be interpreted as a bit of light fighting. The song is a veryHe finished it in 1891 but when it was premiered in1892 the audience was so happy with it that 5 or 6 movements had to be repeated for their enjoyment.
Tchaikovsky's Other Known Music
Symphony No. 1 - 6
Swan Lake
Romeo and Juliet
Variations on a Rococo them for Cello and Orchestra
1812 Overture
Piano Concerto No.1
Tchaikovsky's Legacy
Tchaikovsky was a large pioneer for the Romantic Period of music. He created many different pieces some dedicated to women some dedicated to men and some for his heroes as well as commissioned pieces. He did many unthinkable things like incorporate cannons into a musical piece and used a very new instrument that he had not gotten a great feel of yet. He overcame challenges like family loss and financial problems as well as love life issues but turned out to still be a great composer in his time. He was a very good composer as well as a very intelligent and compassionate man.
Works Cited
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 1 Jun 2016.
http://quest.eb.com/search/113_920209/1/113_920209/cite
http://quest.eb.com/search/113_920209/1/113_920209/cite
Map Of Central Russia, 1899. Photo. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 1 Jun 2016.
http://quest.eb.com/search/300_214800/1/300_214800/cite
"Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker Suite, Op 71a." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June
2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8J8urC_8Jw>.