TCHAIKOVSKY

Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7th, in 1840 in Russia. When he was just 5 years old, Tchaikovsky began taking piano lessons. In 1868, Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony was well-received when it was publicly performed in Moscow. His  music has always had great appeal for the general public in virtue of its tuneful, open-hearted melodies, impressive harmonies, and colourful, picturesque orchestration, all of which evoke a profound emotional response. In 1876 Tchaikovsky had completed the composition of Swan Lake, which was the first in his famed trilogy of ballets. The ballet’s premiere took place on February 20, 1877, but it was not a success owing to poor staging and choreography, and it was soon dropped from the repertoire. He completed his last two compositions for the stage—the one-act opera Iolanta (1891) and a two-act ballet Nutcracker (1892). The first great Russian symphonist, he exhibited a particular gift for melody and orchestration. In his best work, the powerful tunes underlining musical themes are harmonized into magnificent, formally innovative compositions. Tchaikovsky brought an of integrity design that elevated ballet to the level of symphonic music.