Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on the 7th of May 1840 in Votkinsk, Russia. Born into a middle-class family the young Tchaikovsky showed promise from an early age, becoming adept in French and German by the age of just 6 years old. His ability to learn also extended to music and he began to accomplish the piano at the age of 5. He was naturally gifted at the piano and reportedly told his parents that he could not sleep at night because he had musical compositions flowing through his mind, keeping him awake.
At the age of 10 Tchaikovsky was sent to the School of Jurisprudence to prepare him for a career in the civil service, his family did not full realize the extent of his musical talent. He did not study music in any serious way while at school but after his graduation in 1859 he started to study music more seriously. Tchaikovsky began taking lessons at the St Petersburg Conservatory in 1862 and in 1863 he resigned from his job at the Ministry of Justice.
Freed from his job in the civil service Tchaikovsky was once again able to return to the full time study of music. He enrolled at the St Petersburg Conservatory and was mentored by Anton Rubenstein the director and founder of the Conservatory. Tchaikovsky learned instrumentation and composition under Rubenstein and graduated with flying colors from the conservatory in 1865.
Tchaikovsky’s music became widely known and well regarded between 1875 and 1892. Noted for its melodic qualities Tchaikovsky is perhaps best known for his compositions for classical ballet. During this time Tchaikovsky wrote his ballet masterpiece’s Swan Lake in 1876, Sleeping Beauty in 1889 and The Nutcracker in 1892. Tchaikovsky’s personal life was more troubled however and at one point he entered into an ill-fated 9-week marriage.
Tchaikovsky’s personal life continued to be troubled and much is attributed to the loss of his mother when he was a teenager. It is thought that his loss caused him emotional turmoil throughout his whole life. In 1891 he left for the United States where he began a tour conducting – something he never felt comfortable doing. Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony Pathetique premiered in October 1893 but was not well received and it is thought this may have been down to the fact that Tchaikovsky was conducting. In later years Pathetique received greater critical acclaim.
It is widely believed the Tchaikovsky died of Cholera after drinking contaminated water. He died just a week after the premiere of the Sixth Symphony, Pathetique, in November 1893 and never knew that it would later be considered to be one of his and indeed one of the greatest musical works of all time.
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