TchaikovskyA giant in the pantheon of 19th century composers, Tchaikovsky continues to enthrall audiences today. From the Nutcracker--arguably the most popular ballet currently on the boards--Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty, to Eugene Onegin and Pique Dame, to the Symphony Pathetique and the always rousing, canon-blasting 1812 Overture--this prolific and beloved composer's works are perennial favorites. Now, John Wiley, a renowned Tchaikovsky scholar, provides a fresh biography aimed in classic Master Musicians style at the student and music lover. Wiley deftly draws on documents from imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet era sources, providing a more balanced look at recent controversies surrounding the marriage, death, and sexuality of the composer. The author dovetails the biographical material with separate chapters that treat the music thoroughly and fully, work-by-work, with more substantial explorations of Tchaikovsky's most familiar compositions. These analyses present new, even iconoclastic perspectives on the music and the composer's intent and expression. Several informative appendices, in the Master Musicians format, include an exhaustive list of works and bibliography. |
Contents
Tchaikovskys Early Years | 3 |
Childhood and Youth in St Petersburg | 12 |
Civil Service 18591863 | 22 |
Copyright | |
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Alapaevsk Allegro Anatoly Andante Anton Anton Rubinstein Antonina B-flat ballet bars Beethoven beginning cadence Čajkovskijs Cherevichki chords chorus composer composer's composition concert conducted dance death December Dnev duet echoes Evgeniy Onegin finale Hermann Ilya imperial introduction Iolanta January Jurgenson Kamenka Kashkin kovsky kovsky's Laroche later letter libretto March materiali Mazepa Meck melody minor Modest Modest Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory motif movement muzika Nikolay Rubinstein November Nutcracker October opening opera Oprichnik Opus orchestral Overture P. I. Chaykovskiy P. I. Tchaikovsky Paris performance Petersburg phrase Piano Concerto piece play poem published Pyotr Ilyich Quartet Queen of Spades recalled rehearsal reprise Russian Musical Sasha scene Scherzo score September sing singer Sixth Sixth Symphony Sleeping Beauty Snow Maiden song String Symphony Tatyana Tchai Tchaikovsky wrote Theater theme Vakula Vakula the Smith variation Vaydman verse Violin Vladimir Voevoda voice vospominaniya Votkinsk waltz words write