Tchaikovsky, Pytr Il'ich 1840 - 1893
Author: Yamamoto, Akihisa
Last updated：July 10, 2019
Author: Yamamoto, Akihisa
Author : Jitsukata, Kosuke
Last Updated: July 1, 2005
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Author : Jitsukata, Kosuke
Born in Votkinsk, Ural region, Russia, to a father who was a mining engineer. Although there were no professional musicians in his family, his father played the flute and his mother played the piano, indicating a musical aptitude. He became an official in the Ministry of Justice in 1859 but resigned in 1863. Around this time, he was enrolled in the newly established Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied orchestration under its director, Anton Rubinstein. After graduation, he became a lecturer at the Moscow Conservatory at the invitation of Anton's brother, the pianist Nikolai Rubinstein. He subsequently maintained a close friendship with Nikolai.
The 1870s also saw critical periods, such as mental instability following his failed marriage (1877). However, his creative power was prolific, leading to the creation of masterpieces such as "Romeo and Juliet" (1868), "Piano Concerto No. 1" (1874-75), and "Symphony No. 4" (1877), which brought him fame.
In the 1880s, his interactions with the imperial family solidified his social standing. He died in 1893, shortly after the premiere of his Symphony No. 6. While his cause of death is generally attributed to cholera, there are also theories, such as suicide due to fear of his homosexuality being exposed.
Tchaikovsky's well-known works are primarily orchestral, such as symphonies and ballet music, with few famous piano pieces. Among these, Piano Concerto No. 1 holds extremely high popularity as one of the most beloved pieces in its genre. Collections of short pieces like "The Seasons" and "Album for the Young," as well as "Dumka," are performed relatively frequently.
Works(65)
Concerto (2)
concerto (2)
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 Op.23
Key: b-moll Composed in: 1874 Playing time: 34 min 30 sec
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 2 Op.44
Key: G-Dur Composed in: 1879 Playing time: 40 min 00 sec
Piano Solo (13)
sonata (2)
pieces (5)
inpromptu (3)
Tchaikovsky : "Impromptu - Moment lyrique [revised posthumously by Sergey Taneyev]
Playing time: 3 min 00 sec
variation (2)
waltz (4)
caprice (2)
march (2)
character pieces (9)
Piano Ensemble (4)
Reduction/Arrangement (5)
Symphony No.2 (arranged for piano 4 hands by the composer) Op.17
Key: c-moll Composed in: 1872 Playing time: 35 min 00 sec
Orchestral Suite No. 1 (arranged for piano 4 hands by the composer) Op.43
Key: d-moll Composed in: 1879 Playing time: 40 min 00 sec
Italian Capriccio (arranged for piano 4 hands by the composer) Op.45
Key: A-Dur Composed in: 1880 Playing time: 16 min 00 sec
Serenade for strings (arranged for piano 4 hands by the composer) Op.48
Key: C-Dur Composed in: 1880 Playing time: 30 min 00 sec
Symphony No.6 ''Pathétique'' (arranged for piano 4 hands by the composer) Op.74
Key: h-moll Composed in: 1893 Playing time: 50 min 00 sec
Various works (2)
Folk and ethnic music arrangements (1)
Cinquante chants populaires russes (50 Russian Folk Songs)
Composed in: 1869 Playing time: 33 min 00 sec
Chamber Music (1)
Various works (4)
Valse Scherzo (arranged for violin and piano by the composer) Op.34
Key: C-Dur Composed in: 1877 Playing time: 9 min 00 sec
Piano Trio ''In memory of a great artist'' op.50
Key: a-moll Composed in: 1881 Playing time: 45 min 00 sec
etc (5)
Ballet music (3)
Symphony (6)
Orchestral work (4)