Pyotr Tchaikovsky is a real world treasure. The Russian composer, talented teacher, conductor and music critic made a significant contribution to the development of classical music.
Childhood and youth of Pyotr Tchaikovsky
He was born on May 7, 1840. He spent his childhood in the small village of Votkinsk. The father and mother of Pyotr Ilyich were not connected with creativity. For example, the head of the family was an engineer, and the mother raised the children.
The family lived very prosperously. She was forced to move to the Urals, as her father was offered the position of head of a steel plant. In the village, Ilya Tchaikovsky was given an estate with servants.
Peter grew up in a large family. Not only children lived in the house, but also many relatives of the head of the family, Ilya Tchaikovsky. The children were taught by a French governess, who was called by Peter's father from St. Petersburg. Soon she became almost a full-fledged member of the family.
Music was often played in the house of the future Russian composer. And although the parents were indirectly connected with creativity, my father skillfully played the flute, and my mother sang romances and played the piano. Little Petya took piano lessons from Palchikova.
In addition to music, Peter was interested in composing poems. He wrote poems of a humorous nature in a non-native language for him. Later, Tchaikovsky's creations acquired a philosophical meaning.
In the late 1840s of the last century, a large family moved to the capital of Russia - Moscow. A few years later, the family lived on the territory of St. Petersburg. In the cultural capital of Russia, the brothers were sent to the Schmeling boarding school.
In St. Petersburg, Pyotr Tchaikovsky began to study classical music and opera. Around this time, he contracted measles. The transferred disease gave complications. Peter had seizures.
Soon the family returned to the Urals again. This time she was assigned to the city of Alapaevsk. Now the new governess Anastasia Petrova was engaged in Peter's education.
Education of Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Despite the fact that Pyotr Ilyich was interested in music from early childhood, attended opera and ballet, his parents did not consider the option that his son would be engaged in creativity. The realization that the son should be sent to a music school was much later. His parents sent him to the School of Law, which was located in St. Petersburg. Thus, in 1850, Peter moved to the cultural capital of Russia.
Peter attended the school until the end of the 1850s. For the first few years, Tchaikovsky could not tune in to the right mood. He missed his home very much.
In the early 1850s, Pyotr Ilyich left his studies. Then a large family again moved to live in St. Petersburg. Then he got acquainted with Russian opera and ballet.
1854 was a difficult year for the Tchaikovsky family. The fact is that the mother suddenly died of cholera. The head of the family had no choice but to send the eldest sons to closed educational institutions. With the twins, Ilya Tchaikovsky went to live with his brother.
Peter continued to actively engage in music. He took piano lessons from Rudolf Kündinger. Father took care of Peter and decided to hire him a foreign teacher. After the head of the family ran out of money, Peter could not pay for classes.
Soon Ilya Tchaikovsky was offered to become the head of the Institute of Technology. In addition to the fact that Peter's father was promised a good rate, the family was provided with spacious housing.
Then Pyotr Ilyich got a job by profession. He devoted his free time to music. In the early 1860s, he traveled abroad for the first time. There he was on business, but this did not prevent him from getting acquainted with the local culture and color. Interestingly, Peter was fluent in Italian and French.
The creative path of the composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky
In his youth, Pyotr Ilyich did not even think about a musical career. Surprisingly, he perceived music as a hobby for the soul. The head of the family, who was closely watching his son, realized that Peter had a certain inclination towards music. And he advised him to take up “just a hobby” already at a professional level.
When Peter learned that a conservatory was opening in St. Petersburg, which would be managed by Anton Rubinstein, the situation changed. He decided that he wanted to get a musical education. He soon left law and decided to devote himself to music for the rest of his life. Then Pyotr Ilyich had no money, but even this did not stop him on the way to his dream.
While studying at the conservatory, Pyotr Ilyich wrote the cantata "To Joy", which eventually became his graduation work. Surprisingly, the creations of Tchaikovsky made more of a negative than a positive impression on St. Petersburg musicians. For example, Caesar Cui wrote:
“As a composer, Pyotr Ilyich is extremely weak. It is quite simple and conservative ... ".
Pyotr Ilyich was not embarrassed by the criticism. He managed to graduate from the St. Petersburg Conservatory with a silver medal. For him, this was the highest honor. In the mid-1860s, the composer moved to Moscow (at the insistence of his brother). Soon fortune smiled upon him. He took up a professorship at the conservatory.
The peak of a creative career
Pyotr Ilyich taught for a long time at the Moscow Conservatory. He has established himself as an excellent teacher and mentor. Tchaikovsky put a lot of effort and devoted a lot of time to organizing a worthy educational process. At that time, it was not easy for the students. A small amount of scientific literature made itself felt. Pyotr Ilyich took up the translation of foreign textbooks. In addition, he created several teaching materials.
In the late 1870s, Tchaikovsky decided to leave his position as professor at the conservatory. He wanted to devote more time to composing. The place of Pyotr Ilyich was taken by his favorite student and "right hand" Sergei Taneyev. He became Tchaikovsky's most beloved student.
Tchaikovsky's life was provided by his patroness Nadezhda von Meck. She was a very wealthy widow and annually paid the musician a subsidy of 6 rubles.
Tchaikovsky's move to the capital definitely benefited the composer. It was during this period of time that his creative career flourished. Then he met with the members of the association of composers "Mighty Handful", where talented people exchanged their experience. In the late 1860s, he wrote a fantasy overture based on Shakespeare's work.
In the early 1870s, one of the most popular compositions came out from the pen of Pyotr Ilyich. We are talking about the creation of "The Storm". During this period of time he was abroad for a long time. Abroad, he gained experience. Those emotions that he experienced abroad formed the basis of subsequent compositions.
In the 1870s, the most memorable compositions of the famous maestro came out, for example, "Swan Lake". After that, Tchaikovsky began to travel the world even more. In addition, he delighted fans of classical music with new and long-loved old compositions.
Pyotr Ilyich spent the last years of his life in the small provincial town of Klin. During this period of time, he agreed to open a comprehensive school in the settlement.
The famous composer died on November 6, 1893. Pyotr Ilyich died of cholera.
Interesting facts about the composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky
- He planned an opera with Anton Chekhov.
- In his free time, Peter worked as a journalist.
- Once he participated in extinguishing a fire.
- In one of the restaurants, the composer ordered a glass of water. As a result, it turned out that she was not boiled. Later it turned out that he had contracted cholera.
- He did not love those who did not love his homeland.
Details of the personal life of Pyotr Tchaikovsky
In most of the photographs that have been preserved, Pyotr Tchaikovsky is captured in the company of men. Experts are still guessing about the orientation of the famous composer. Biographers suggest that the composer could have feelings for Joseph Kotek and Vladimir Davydov.
It is not known for certain whether Pyotr Ilyich was gay. The composer also has photographs with the fairer sex. Biographers are sure that this is just a distraction that the composer used to divert attention from his true orientation.
He wanted to marry Artaud Desiree. The woman refused the composer, preferring Marian Padilla y Ramos. In the late 1880s, Antonina Milyukova became the official wife of Peter. The woman was much younger than the man. This marriage lasted only a few weeks. Antonina and Peter practically did not live together, although they never officially filed for divorce.
