Tchaikovsky, Чайкoвский

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, movement II

Today marks the 180th anniversary of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's birthday. He left the world with so much beautiful music, especially his last symphony (No.6), which he considered to be his greatest work. However, the slow movement from his Violin Concerto is one of the most devastatingly beautiful melodies ever written. Listen to it being performed masterfully by the legendary violinist, David Oistrakh and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra:

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Tchaikovsky (Russian composer)

When Pyotr and his elder brother were sent to boarding school for two years, Pyotr could not bear to be torn away from his mother, even clinging to the wheels of her carriage to stop her leaving. Later, in 1854, Tchaikovsky’s mother fell victim to cholera and died. Having tried hard to put Pyotr on the path of a civil servant, his father finally realised that his true vocation was music. 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Пётр Ильич Чайкoвский (7 May 1840 - 6 November 1893)

In 1868, Tchaikovsky met a Belgian soprano, named Desiree Artot, whom he even considered marrying, only to be deeply hurt when she deserted him to marry a Spaniard. However, a 28-year-old music student named Antonina Milyukova became obsessed with Tchaikovsky. She was charming, pretty, neurotic and a nymphomaniac. Tchaikovsky found himself strangely drawn to her. She threatened to kill herself unless he married her. He married Antonina on 18 July 1877. In mid-August he attempted to kill himself in the freezing waters of the Moskva river. The couple never met again and finally divorced in 1881, but Antonina continued to pester him for many years, badgering him for money and issuing veiled threats of blackmail. On February 13th, Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother about his homosexuality, which he referred to as ‘Z’: “Only now, especially after the tale of my marriage, have I finally begun to understand that there is nothing more fruitless than not wanting to be that which I am by nature.”

The year 1876 saw the beginning of an extraordinary relationship that developed between Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda von Meck. A great admirer of his work, she decided to become his patroness, enabling him to devote his efforts entirely to writing music. Although he and his benefactor agreed never to meet, they engaged in a voluminous correspondence (roughly 1100 intimate letters) where they frankly exchanged view on politics, ideology, psychology of creativity, religion and the nature of love. 

Early in 1878, Tchaikovsky finished several of his most famous compositions - the opera ‘Eugene Onegin’ and the Violin Concerto in D major, for example. During the winter of 1890, whilst staying in Florence, he concentrated on his third Pushkin opera, ‘The Queen of Spades’ which was written in just 44 days and is considered to be one of his finest. Later that year, however, Tchaikovsky was informed by Nadezhda von Meck that she was close to ruin and could not continue his allowance. This was followed by the cessation of their correspondence, a circumstance that caused Tchaikovsky considerable anguish. 

‘I can tell you in all sincerity...that I consider this symphony the best thing I have ever done...I frequently wept as I worked it out in my mind'

(Tchaikovsky writing to his nephew about his sixth symphony)

However, he continued to compose and his world stature was confirmed by his acceptance in June 1893 of an honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge. On October 21, days after conducting the premiere of his sixth symphony in St. Petersburg, he suddenly became ill and was diagnosed with cholera, an epidemic that was sweeping through the city. Despite all medical efforts to save him, he died just days later from complications arising from the disease. There are rumours which say that Tchaikovsky intended to end his own life and that possibly this was also the message behind his final symphony, the 6th - this remains a mystery.

Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia, ‘The Great Composers’ by Jeremy Nicholas.