1840 – 1893 by Jong Kwan Kim

 born on 7 th may of 1840 at Vokinsk to a wealthy family  Pyotr was a second of a five children  Could read in both German and French  was sent to a law school and at age of 19 he became the ministry of justice at St.Petersburgh  but he knew that music was what he was meant to do. He showed great musical talents and potential, especially on the piano improvisation.

 decided to dedicate his life to music after listening to Mozart’s Don Giovanni.  started attending St. Petersburgh Conservatory to study under Anton Rubinstein.  Pyotr has composed “The Storm’ in 1864 and “The Fatum” in 1868 but he has failed to impress Balakirev  Romeo and Juliet was the Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s first work that brought him fame to Russia, London, and New York  At the end of his career after the tour of Europe and America, he has became the world wide famous composer.  The booklet from the Carnegie Hall has proclaimed him as one of the greatest living composer.  Even the Tsar Alexander III has granted him a lifelong government pension.

 Pyotr Tchikovsky has developed a Russian voice for the Russian music and all the Russian people during the Romantic era.  Not only that he influenced the Russian musicians, he has influenced the musicians in Europe and America.  He also created the world’s greatest ballet music which led Russia to become the most powerful ballet country.  Most importantly he became the symbol of the Russian music and dedicated his music to us.

 Tchaikovsky has suffered a great amount from his social life due to his homosexuality.  Some say that he married one of his student “Antonina Miliukova” to make people stop thinking that he is homosexual  The marriage only lasted 9 weeks after the Tchaikovsky’s suicide attempt.  3 years after the Tchaikovsky’s death, Antonina was sent to insane asylum.  She has gone insane from Tchaikovsky’s brother Modest’s exaggeration that was wrote in Pyotr’s biography.

 Tchaikovsky gets involved in a weird relationship with a wealthy widow named “Nadezhda von Meck.”  Nadezhda was a big fan of Tchaikovsky’s music and one day she has heard that Tchaikovsky is in financial need.  so she starts sending money to Tchakovsky for 13 years at a base rate of 6,000 rubbles a year and whatever bonus he could get from her.  Tchaikovsky was able to tour all over Europe freely after retiring from the conservatory.  Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda have never met except for a few accidental encounters, they only communicated through letters.

 In the middle of 1886, he realized that he didn’t have much to live.  but he continued to write music and in 1888 he was awarded by the tsar Alexander III.  He has performed “The symphony number 6” known to be his one of the best pieces nine days before his death.  On 1893, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died.  Some say that he died from accidently drinking unboiled water and caught cholera and others say that he purposely drank a unboiled water and suicided.

 A music piece that Tchaikovsky composed for the opera that was based on a Hoffman’s story “The nutcracker and the mouse king.” The nutcracker is divided in 3 parts and 8 movements.

a) Marche. Tempo di marcia viva (G major, 88 bars) – As the brass instruments are played at the beginning, the opera is started. b) Danse de la Fée-Dragée. Andante ma non troppo (E minor, 84 bars) – A rhythmic melody is played and has bright sounds that gives the song timber.

d) Danse arabe. Allegretto (G minor, 102 bars)- Arabian dance

f) Danse des mirlitons. Moderato assai (D major, 77 bars) – the melodies are played with the flutes and have toys that are playing flutes in the opera. e) Danse chinoise. Allegro moderato (B ♭ major, 32 bars) – Chinese dance – It has a homourous and fun sound to it.

 Composed in Tchakovsky was influenced by nephews who do ballet but failed to bring recognition not until his death.

 Baker, Theodore. The Concise Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians Print.   "Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( )."Royaltyfreemusic.com. N.p.. Web. 15 Feb .   "Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Biography." notablebiographies. N.p.. Web. 15 Feb .   "Peter Tchaikovsky Biography The Composer's Troubled, Fascinating Life." favorite- classical-composers.  N.p.. Web. 15 Feb biography.html  "Tchaikovsky Research." Tchaikovsky Research. N.p.. Web. 15 Feb .