Contents
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Composing Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and some of classical music’s most familiar orchestral melodies.
Swan Lake · The Sleeping Beauty
- Born
- 7 May 1840
- Birthplace
- Votkinsk, Russia
- Died
- 6 November 1893
More people
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer whose ballets, concertos, symphonies and operas reached international audiences. He combined formal conservatory training with a strongly expressive melodic style.
Early life
Civil-service path
Was educated at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence and initially worked in government service.
Formal music study
Entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory and graduated in 1865.
Career
- 1866
Moscow teacher
Joined the newly established Moscow Conservatory as a professor.
- 1878
Independent composer
Left teaching as support from patron Nadezhda von Meck enabled greater concentration on composition.
- 1891
American concerts
Travelled to the United States and conducted during Carnegie Hall’s opening celebrations.
Selected work
Swan Lake
A ballet about enchantment and divided loyalty, later established in a revised staging.
The Sleeping Beauty
A full-length ballet created with choreographer Marius Petipa.
The Nutcracker
A ballet whose suite and seasonal performances became exceptionally familiar.
Beyond work
A correspondence patronage
For years he exchanged letters with Nadezhda von Meck while maintaining their agreement not to meet.
Life in Klin
Spent his final years near Moscow; his last home became a museum.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Émile Reutlinger. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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