Friday, February 22, 2019

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is considered to be the most popular Russian composer in history and my favorite composer of piano compositions many of which I grew up learning. This is due to his most celebrated compositions for his ballets that include Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker all of which make up my all-time favorite pieces to play on the piano especially, Pas De Deux, a dance for the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince Coqueluche. Tchaikovsky is a true inspiration as his collective body of work constitutes 169 pieces that include symphonies, operas, ballets, concertos, cantatas, and songs. His works are of great appeal for listeners as they are characterized by impressive harmonies, light melodies, picturesque orchestration, and have the ability of evoking a powerful emotional response as it does for me. 

Tchaikovsky lived a full life completely surrounded by his love for music, so much so that as a child he would complain that the music in his head kept him from sleep. This link details his life in stages and includes a list of his works. 

Tchaikovsky said, "Truly there would be reason to go mad were it not for music," and I couldn't agree more. This link includes a list of his works that can be clicked on to hear a sample in hopes that they will evoke the same emotional response for you all as they do for me. 

A little over half way through the article, this link details Tchaikovsky's musical style detailing harmony, rhythm, structure, and repetition.