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Music 1010
Semester Presentation by Sarah Caverni
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The life and music of an amazing
Composer
Tchaikovsky’s Early Life
Born on May 7th, 1840.
Of French and Ukrainian descent.
His mother was 18 years younger than his father.
Tchaikovsky had one sister, four brothers and a half-sister.
The discovery of his
talent
Started piano lessons at the age of five.
Able to read music as well as teacher by the age of
eight.
Parents were supportive of his music in the
beginning.
First Serious Composition Attempt
Both parents contracted cholera in 1854.
Mother passed away from the illness.
Tchaikovsky wrote a waltz in his mother’s honor.
Marriage and Sexuality
Married Antonina Miliukova in 1877.
Never officially divorced but the marriage only lasted a few months.
After an emotional breakdown he became more accepting of his sexuality.
He never openly admitted to being homosexual.
Von Meck’s Help
After hearing Tchaikovsky’s work, a wealthy
Russian widow decided to pay him 6,000 rubles
annually to focus on his career. Her condition to
do so was that they were to never meet face-toface. Meck’s help allowed the author to focus on
his music.
Composing Years
Constantly moving between 1878 and 1884.
With the help of Tsar Alexander III, he was able to achieve “social
rehabilitation” after the emotional breakdown that followed the separation.
In 1885 the Third Orchestral Suite premiered with extreme success.
Composer’s death
Tchaikovsky died on October 28th, 1893.
He was only 53 years old at the time.
Had more accomplishments in his short life than his fellow Russian
composers of the Era.
Officially died from Cholera.
Many still believe that he took his own life because of his homosexuality.
Compositions
Over 100 works not including the piano ones.
Romeo and Juliet.
1812 Overture.
The Nutcracker.
Swan Lake.
Etc.
1812 Overture
Learning History Through a Symphony
Based on the overture of the French Army by Russia in 1812.
Neither side won, however Russia drove the French out of its land.
Over 100,000 are estimated to have died.
The Composition Process
Tchaikovsky finished the piece in just six weeks.
Commemorative piece for the 25th anniversary of coronation of Alexander
II.
Written based on the suggestion of his friend, Nikolai Rubinstein.
First Performance
Initial performance was supposed to have church bells and live cannon being
fired on demand for precision.
Since Alexander II was murdered in March of 1882, the piece was performed
indoors instead by a conventional orchestra.
Tchaikovsky did not like this piece and claimed to have written it “without
love”.
National Anthems
The piece uses parts of the French
national anthem: La Marseillaise.
Also uses parts of “God Save the
Tsar!” which was the Russian
national anthem at the time.
The U.S. and the 1812 Overture piece
In 1891 Tchaikovsky himself conducted the 1812 Overture in New York
City.
This piece is often played at Fourth of July celebrations.
Many wrongfully think that the song is about America’s battles against the
British.
Listening Guide
(1812 Overture)
0:00 Introduction begins in E flat major.
1:20 Wind instruments enter.
1:54 Transition to C minor.
2:00 Oboe solo, accompanied by strings. Tempo picks up a little
giving the song more life.
2:20 Flute joins oboe in solo creating a bigger presence in response
to the strings. Adagio.
2:26 Bassoon also joins the solo phrases.
2:44 Solo ends. Song gradually gets faster and at this point it has a
very high pitch. The timbre also becomes more distinguishable.
3:19 Bassoon, cello, bass transition back to E flat major.
3:55 Strings join snare drums.
5:33 Theme 2 switches to cornet.
4:44 New section begins and violin enters with melody in 5:40 Theme 2 switches back to French horn.
E flat minor.
5:46 Theme 2 switches to trumpet.
5:11 Oboe and clarinet join in creating a better harmony
5:52 Theme 2 ends, section F begins by transitioning to E
between the orchestra. The timbre gets higher.
flat minor.
5:27 French horn starts Theme 2.
6:17 Theme 2 starts again.
11:28 Section I repeats in C minor
6:43 Strings with melody in F# major.
11:47 Section K begins in E flat major.
7:39 Flute, oboe, clarinet join with melody
12:32 Section M starts in E flat major
8:08 Transition to D# minor
12:39 Song slowly slows down and time signature
switches to ¾.
8:23 Flute and English horn with melody in E flat
minor while tambourines accompany.
8:42 Leitmotifs are played by oboe, clarinet,
bassoon, viola, and cello. Decrescendo to piano.
9:00 Section J begins in A minor
9:11 Parts of Theme 2 return
9:37 Bass drum and cymbals enter, fortissimo
13:12 Section A repeats, but much stronger and
louder, phrases are interrupted by string runs,
includes military band.
14:21 Finale begins in E flat major in 4/4 with a
stronger dynamic ffff. Theme 1, allegro vivace, firing of
the cannons begins.
14:32 Low brass switches to harmony, Theme 1
played again.
10:14 Section G repeats in G flat major with Theme
15:01 Partial phrases from Theme 1 return even
2.
stronger.
10:40 Section H repeats in E flat major
15:21 Song ends.
Works Cited
• Brown, David, ed. Stanley Sadie, "Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich", The New Grove Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians
(London: MacMillan, 1980), 20 vols. ISBN 0-333-23111-2.
• Brown, David, Tchaikovsky: The Early Years, 1840–1874 (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1978). ISBN 0393-07535-2.
• Brown, David, Tchaikovsky: The Crisis Years, 1874–1878, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1983). ISBN
0-393-01707-9.
• Brown, David, Tchaikovsky: The Years of Wandering, 1878–1885, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1986).
ISBN 0-393-02311-7.
• Brown, David, Tchaikovsky: The Final Years, 1885–1893, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1991). ISBN
0-393-03099-7.
• Brown, David, Tchaikovsky: The Man and His Music (New York: Pegasus Books, 2007).ISBN 0-571-23194-2.
Works Cited
• Holden, Anthony, Tchaikovsky: A Biography (New York: Random House, 1995). ISBN 0-679-42006-1.
• Poznansky, Alexander Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man (New York: Schirmer Books, 1991). ISBN
0-02-871885-2.
• Poznansky, Alexander. Tchaikovsky through others' eyes. (Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Press, 1999). ISBN 0253-33545-0.
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