Notes on pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky and his works

What instruments did pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky play

Although not a member of the group of nationalistic composers usually known in English -speaking countries as The Five , his music has come to be known and loved for its distinctly Russian character as well as its rich harmonies and stirring melodies. His works, however, were much more western than his Russian contemporaries as he effectively used both nationalistic folk melodies and international elements.

Tchaikovsky was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk , Russia , to a Ukrainian mining engineer and his second wife, a woman of French ancestry. Musically precocious, he began piano lessons at the age of five. He went on to study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory from to In , he was appointed professor of theory and harmony at the Moscow Conservatory , established that year.

He held the post until approximately Tchaikovsky married Antonina Milyukova , who had written to him declaring her love, on July 18, The marriage was hasty, and he quickly found he could not bear his wife. First, the composer made an attempt at suicide two weeks after the wedding, then he fled to Saint Petersburg a nervous wreck, and was separated from his wife after only six weeks.

Where did pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky live

The couple never saw each other again, although they never divorced and Tchaikovsky died a married man. This episode only served to confirm Tchaikovsky's homosexuality , which he was apparently trying to conceal through the marriage. Kamien, p. A far more influential woman in Tchaikovsky's life was a wealthy widow, Madame Nadezhda von Meck , with whom he corresponded from to