About
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is a major Russian composer of the Romantic era. Born in Votkinsk, he studied law before entering the St. Petersburg Conservatory. A professor at the Moscow Conservatory, he composed symphonies, operas, ballets, and concert works that earned him international fame. His oeuvre, marked by great melodic expressiveness, includes masterpieces such as the ballet 'Swan Lake' and the 'Symphony No. 6 'Pathétique''. He benefited from the patronage of Nadezhda von Meck and received a state pension from Tsar Alexander III.
* 1840-04-25 — † 1893-10-25
Major works
- Le Lac des cygnes (1876)ballet
- Eugène Onéguine (1878)opera
- Concerto pour piano n° 1 (1875)concerto
- Symphonie n° 6 « Pathétique » (1893)symphony
- Casse-Noisette (1892)ballet
Key milestones
- 1865Graduated with honors from the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
- 1878Resigned from the Moscow Conservatory to devote himself to composition.
- 1893Conducted the premiere of his Symphony No. 6 'Pathétique' in St. Petersburg, nine days before his death.
Themes
Fate and destinyLove and passionMelancholy and nostalgiaRussian national identityNature and landscapes
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordbibliographies.com · yalebooks.co.uk