Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: biography, interesting facts, creativity

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

One of the most sentimental and lyrical composers, fanned by worldwide fame. His name in Russia is the main patrimony, which educates Russian musicians - the Moscow State Conservatory. As well as the prestigious international competition of academic performers, the largest global event. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is an outstanding Russian composer who devoted himself entirely to the world of inspiration and created such brilliant creations that they are the most performed works in the world at the present time. Charming melody, brilliant possession of compositional technique, as well as the ability to see bright and harmonious in any tragedy, makes Peter Ilyich the greatest creative person not only in Russia, but also in the whole world’s musical culture.

A brief biography of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and many interesting facts about the composer can be found on our page.

Brief biography of Tchaikovsky

Peter Ilyich was born in the Russian outback - the village of Votkinsk near a small plant on May 7, 1840 in the family of a mining engineer. From birth, the boy absorbed the primordial spirit of the Russian intelligentsia. He spent his childhood in his native estate under the shadow of rural nature, among the scenic views and sounds of folk songs. All these impressions of the early years later took shape in an extraordinary love for the Motherland, its history and culture, its such creative people.

Education for children in this large and friendly family sought to give the best. A governess with them has always been a governess, which, by the way, has kept a lot of memories of little Petrush. Since childhood, he was the most impressionable, subtly feeling, vulnerable, talented child with the finest nervous organization. The nanny called him "porcelain boy." Such a fragile, neurasthenic mental structure, such an acute perception of life and sensitivity have remained with him for the rest of his life.

The house was filled with music, the parents of the future composer themselves loved to play music, they organized musical evenings, in the living room there was a mechanical organ (orchestra). His beloved mother instilled a love for piano lessons, and from the age of 5 he has been practicing quite regularly. Classes of music captured him entirely, but, frightened by Petr's unstable psyche, his parents sent him to study at the Imperial School of Law in St. Petersburg, believing that music was detrimental to him.

Biography of Tchaikovsky says that after graduation, in 1859, Pyotr Ilyich worked a little as a titular adviser in the Ministry of Justice, continuing to make music as an option, attending musical evenings and opera performances. By that time, he was already considered a good pianist and improviser. Thanks to the service, he first went abroad, having traveled on a three-month tour with engineer Pisarev as a translator. Later trips to Europe with tour performances or for recreation will be for him an essential part of creative activity. The very opportunity to visit Europe, to join its cultural monuments excited him.

In 1862, he finally decided to link his life with music. More precisely, for himself, he defined it as a ministry to music. He enters the newly opened St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studies the composition class. There he meets Anton Rubinstein, who had a significant impact on his life. So shortly after the end of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory (with a large silver medal, the highest award), Rubinstein invites him to Moscow - now teach the basics of composition, harmony, the theory of music and orchestration.

Pedagogical activity of Tchaikovsky

It is worth noting that the Moscow Conservatory at that time (in 1866) also only began to exist. In fact, at that time there was no national school teaching performing or composing skills. There were scattered translations of Western textbooks, separate classes of teachers who did not become concert musicians, but transferred their skills to the students according to the principle of "do as I do."

Tchaikovsky not only gave lectures, he wrote many curricula and manuals himself, he translated something from foreign sources. There are records of lectures of his student, an outstanding Russian composer. Sergey Taneyevfrom which it is possible to judge the depth of knowledge, the ability to thoughtfully analyze music from the point of view of its structure, form, elements. This is a titanic methodical work, which is impossible to overestimate.

Thanks to the efforts of Pyotr Ilyich, the training of Russian musicians and especially composers acquired a system, method, wholeness. For a long time this part of his biography went down, it was considered an insignificant episode. This is caused by Tchaikovsky’s own statements that his pedagogical work is stupid and ignorant. But all these words do not reflect the truth at all - Tchaikovsky’s appearance as a teacher in the then national musical culture predetermined the appearance of the Russian school of composition and unique, original, ingenious composers for centuries (!). This is a milestone in the national musical pedagogy.

It is remarkable that Tchaikovsky made such a serious contribution to teaching and criticism, almost without reducing time for his own writings. This characterizes him as a man of monstrous working capacity, a workaholic who threw every minute of his earthly stay on the altar of Music.

Becoming a composer

His career was not strewn with roses. At the very beginning, he was often sharply criticized for his desire to please the listener. Then, when he had often visited Europe and tried to combine the best of Western culture with traditional Russian features, it was difficult for him to meet the unanimity of the audience. Truly his genius was appreciated only at the end.

Tchaikovsky's early works date back to 1854. These were small plays - "Anastasia-waltz" and the romance "My genius, my angel, my friend ...". His student works of the conservatory period are already given by masters in it. One of the works is a program work for the drama N.A. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm". With the famous playwright afterwards, Pyotr Ilyich was associated not only with tender friendship, but also with creative projects. So in 1873, the music for the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden" was written, and later the opera Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the same theme.

This time (the end of the 60s and the beginning of the 70s) was for him a creative search, the most turned to folk art. At the same time about his collection "50 Russian Folk Songs for Piano 4 Hands" was published. Fabulous mythical plot inherent in folklore, was embodied in the opera "Ondine". The first production took place with a certain success, but by the end of the season it was removed from the theatrical repertoire. Manuscript composer destroyed. Only some of the musical fragments were later transferred to the Snow Maiden. By them it can be judged that by that time, Pyotr Ilyich owned a technique of color writing.

Over the years he worked at the Conservatory, he wrote many works, from the iconic one can list 4 symphonies, 5 operas, the Swan Lake ballet, a concert for piano and orchestra, 3 string quartets.

Gradually, he came to understand that he should devote more time to composing music. The exhausting work at the conservatory required a lot of time and effort. And in 1878, Tchaikovsky conducts his last classes, but until the end of his life, he keeps a correspondence with many students, who later became venerable performers. In the letters he always remained their teacher and censor, made recommendations.

In 1877, the composer began work on "Eugene Onegin". Absorbed in the composition, he somehow too quickly marries Antonina Milyukova. The marriage fell apart literally in a few weeks. Everything in Tchaikovsky's young wife was annoying. And living together with her became a serious test for him. The mental agony of this period led to a nervous breakdown and affected the music. Coincidentally, the "Eugene Onegin" and the 4th symphony written at that moment became the pinnacles of his work.

In 1878, he was leaving to recover from the events abroad. Then Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck, a philanthropist and fan of Peter Ilyich, began to help him. For a long 14 years, they corresponded, but never met. Nevertheless, her moral and material assistance allowed Pyotr Ilyich to engage in work relatively freely, he could not look to the publishers or the directors of theaters.

Since the 1880s, he has toured the world a lot. He brings a personal acquaintance with such pillars of European and Russian culture as Leo Tolstoy, Edvard Grieg, Antonin Dvořák and many others. All his so strong impressionability as a sponge absorbed the wealth and diversity of the world. He is one of the lucky few who managed to win the recognition of the public, critics, and colleagues during his lifetime.

According to Tchaikovsky’s biography in recent years, he was inexplicably drawn to his homeland, the composer wanted to live far from the noisy cities, where anyone could recognize him on the street. He admitted that he was endlessly tired of the fuss around him. Therefore, he chose small holiday villages near Moscow, where he rented the estate. The last house in which he lived in Klin near Moscow, became the house-museum memorial reserve named after the composer.

He died in 1893 unexpectedly. Doctors diagnosed cholera, which developed in just a few days. Shortly before that he was given a glass of unboiled water in one of the restaurants. Although there were other versions about the death of Tchaikovsky, they were not given evidence.

Interesting facts about Tchaikovsky

• For a long time, the life story of this greatest composer, who made a significant contribution to world culture, was surrounded by myths and legends. The gallant XIX century did not allow mention of facts, even in the slightest degree compromising such an outstanding person. Further, this tradition was picked up by the Soviet ideology, which brought new features to the image of the composer, which correspond to the tasks of building a new society. The beginning of the 21st century brought fashion to the discussion of the most personal and intimate, and turned the inner world of the Artist into a large walk-through area.

• In early youth, Pyotr Ilyich was in love with the Belgian singer Desiree Arto, he was even going to make her an offer. But she suddenly left and married another. Tchaikovsky suffered incredibly, dedicated the song "Forget so soon" to her. This episode is shown expressively in Igor Talankin’s 1970 Tchaikovsky film. The starring role is brilliant Innokenty Smoktunovsky, and the role of Desire is Maya Plisetskaya in an unusual role.
• From the biography of Tchaikovsky, we know that in 1893 the composer was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Cambridge.
• Currently, there are court hearings on the right to title. The ballet "Sleeping Beauty" unwittingly became the subject of heated debate with the company "Walt Disney" for the emblem. Also waiting for the verdict of the film company patent application named "Princess Aurora", which is also the main character of the work of Tchaikovsky. It is noteworthy that Disney took advantage of the music of Peter Ilyich when creating the cartoon of the same name in 1959.
• Most of his life Tchaikovsky was prone to depression. From the age of 14, on the occasion of his early mother, whose loss he mourned for a long time. He was also a hypochondriac. Most of all he was afraid to go deaf as Beethoven.

• "Inspiration is a guest who willingly does not attend the lazy." This principle he was guided all his life.
• In 1877, rich entrepreneur Nadezhda von Mek supported violinist Iosif Kotek, who was a former student and friend of Tchaikovsky and was recommended to her by pianist Nikolai Rubinstein. She was impressed by the composer Tchaikovsky, and asked Rubinstein in detail about him. It was Kotek, however, who convinced her to write to him, after which she introduced herself as an “ardent admirer”. Thus, their relationship entrenched as an epistolary friendship: between 1877 and 1890, they exchanged more than 1,200 letters, and she was the one who supported him after the critics tore up his Fifth Symphony. She encouraged him to persevere in writing. They just met in person once, by chance, in August 1879.

Characteristic features of Tchaikovsky's music

Among musicologists, it is often the opinion that Tchaikovsky is a great opera, symphonic, ballet composer, but his chamber or instrumental music is rather weak, not so interesting. His "non-piano thinking" is also noted, making it difficult to create something truly grand with small expressive means. This is a misconception. What only cost "6 pieces for piano", is a whole performance for the performer - a performance by one actor, where he can show all his wonderful feeling and musicality.

Incredible intonational subtlety is peculiar to his melody. He, like Bach, has coded intonations in music. Their finest play and play are his individual composer feature.

Criticism of Tchaikovsky

The author’s literary activity is considered fleeting. However, despite the short period that Pyotr Ilyich devoted to literary experience, his articles in the Russian Vedomosti journals and the Sovremennaya chronicle newspaper were of paramount importance in the cultural life of Russia, as they helped to shape the opinion and vision of music to the broad masses.

His own high moral and aesthetic ideals, to which he had strived consciously all his life, made him reflect on the role of art in the life of society and man. He felt an urgent need to share such thoughts with fellow countrymen. In many ways, his views on music then were determined by the views of his contemporaries.

The last publications written by Peter Ilyich on a business trip in Bavaria were reports on Wagner concerts in 1876. By the end of it, Tchaikovsky had already become a symbol of Russian history, the Russian intelligentsia, the Russian spirit.

Not Tchaikovsky Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich, like no other composer, has works that officially have 2 editions - one is the author, the other is with someone else's edits. Moreover, the changes made are significant. It is known that today, due to the established performing tradition, in some works most often it sounds not quite Tchaikovsky. For example, Variations on a Rococo Theme for orchestra and cello solo.

There are not so many concert works for traditionally "orchestral" instruments, any instrumentalist dreams of showing the beauty of the sound of his instrument separately from the orchestra. In 1876-77, "Variations" were born. It was a long-awaited gift for the Moscow cellist Wilhelm Fitzegagen, a close friend of the composer, as well as the first cello of the Russian Musical Society. He participated in all the premieres of Tchaikovsky's music as a soloist, performer of the first part. The main trusted musician Peter Ilyich.

The premiere of "Variations" was held in November 1877, it passed without Tchaikovsky, who at that moment was abroad at rehearsals and performances of his other compositions. After the premiere, Fitzengagen took notes to Pyotr Yurgenson, publisher of Tchaikovsky, with his edits. So he completely removed 1 of 8 variations, some of them swapped and changed the code. In this form, the notes went to print.

The changes, in the view of the “editor” Fitzengagen, allowed the most virtuosic part of the piece to be put into the final, where it could shine with performing skills. Pyotr Ilyich then toured a lot, did not respond to the letters of the “editor”. But not because he agreed with the editors. And soon even there was no one to object - Nikolai Vasilyevich died. After a few more years, Pyotr Tchaikovsky himself.

For many years, the confusion with the editorial offices remained in obscurity. Artists during this time are accustomed to perform the edited version. It is in this version, since 1962, "Variations on the Rococo Theme" become an obligatory work on the 3rd round of the contest. Tchaikovsky. The last 3 dozen bars for all performers are technically very difficult, it is almost impossible to play them purely. But the long practice of performing precisely this musical version created a peculiar aura of virtuosity, a special complexity that is not accessible to every performer. Now, if someone wishes to perform it in the author’s version, it will immediately be recognized as a bit scared or a little technical.

Interpretation and modern processing of works by Tchaikovsky

In contemporary performing art, Mikhail Pletnev is considered the best performer of Tchaikovsky’s music. In the 20th century, one of the brightest and most accurate interpretations was considered a technically perfect and stylistically flawless game of Sviatoslav Richter. Среди симфонических исполнений выделяют трактовки дирижеров Леонарда Бернстайна, Евгения Мравинского, Евгения Светланова.

Романсная лирика Чайковского чрезвычайно привлекательна для артистов оперы и камерного жанра. Such diverse vocalists as Sergey Lemeshev, Dmitry Khvorostovsky, Galina Vishnevskaya, each with his unique singing manner, performed brilliantly delicate Tchaikovsky songs full of incredible emotional intensity.

There are a huge number of treatments of Tchaikovsky's most famous themes on electronic instruments and with special effects:

• Faustas Latenas;
• Clint Mansell;
• Sergey Zhilin;
• in jazz processing;
• rock processing;
• electropop processing.

In 1945, Vera Mukhina was solemnly commissioned to make a monument to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The idea of ​​the sculpture was not immediately brought to life, several times it had to be completely redone. As a result, the author did not live to see the opening day of the monument; this was her last work. But in the final version it is a symbol of creative inspiration. Its location is also symbolic - in the courtyard of the Moscow Conservatory, where crowds of hurrying music students and tourists willing to join the source of Russian music take place every day.