Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

1
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

• The Dominant Russian Composer of the 19th Century

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The Life of Tchaikovsky

• Began to study music at 21
• Graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory
  and became a teacher in the Moscow conservatory
• Composed a symphony, opera, tome poem, and his
  first great orchestral work, Romeo and Juliet, by
  the time he was 30
• Married in 1877 to conceal his sexuality-
  attempted suicide two weeks later

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The Life of Tchaikovsky

• Also in 1877, a wealthy benefactor Nadezdha von
  Meck, who guaranteed his income for the next 14
  years
• Deeply hurt when she cut off the annual salary
  and stopped writing
• Gained success as a conductor of international
  renown
• Includes a stop in the United States in 1891
• In 1893, nine days after the premiere of his
  Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique), he dies at the age
  of 53

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Tchaikovskys Music

• Fused Russian nationalism with French, Italian,
  and German tradition
• Very subjective and passionate music
• Used Western style melodies as well as folk songs
• Experimented occasionally with unusual meters
• Used Russian dance rhythms to give strong
  metrical feel to music
• Used both traditional circle of fifths
  progression and chromatic harmonies

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Tchaikovskys Output

• 10 operas
• 8 Symphonies
• 3 ballets
• 5 sets of incidental music
• 4 orchestral suites
• 10 concerti
• 12 orchestral pieces
• 13 smaller works for chamber ensemble

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The Nutcracker

• Arguably his most popular ballet
• Two acts with three scenes
• Premiered on December 18, 1892
• Follows a young girl, Clara, on her journey
  through a fantasy world of fairies, princes, toy
  soldiers, and an army of mice
• Based on Alexandre Dumas adaptation of the story
  The Nutcraker and the Mouse King

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The Nutcracker March

• Set at a Christmas party
• This occurs in act I at the beginning of the
  party scene
• Popular folk dance
• ABA form

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Dance of the Reed Pipes

• ABA form as well
• A section uses flutes and is light and airy
• B section is contrasted in melody, key, and timbre