С днём рождения, Чайковский!
Привет всем!
Today I’d like to continue to talk about art and music of the russian culture. Within some days (May 7) will be the birthday of one of the most famous russian composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский). He is known all over the world for his amazing compositions and his music is still actual. He was born in 1840 in Votkinsk, a small town of the russian Empire.
When he was just 5 years old, he began taking piano lessons. Although he showed a great passion for music, his parents hoped that he would work in the civil service. At the age of 10, Tchaikovsky began attending the Imperial School of Jurisprudence. But during that time he became more and more fascinated with music. When he was 21, he decided to take music lessons at the Russian Musical Society and then he enrolled at the newly founded St. Petersburg Conservatory, becoming one of the school’s first composition students. He gave also private lessons to other students. In 1863, he moved to Moscow, where he became a professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory.
Tchaikovsky’s first work, Characteristic Dances, was publicly performed in 1865 by Johann Strauss the younger. In 1868, Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony was well-received when it was publicly performed in Moscow. His collective body of works constitutes 169 pieces, including symphonies, operas, ballets, concertos, cantatas and songs. He wrote many works which are really popular, including Romeo and Juliet, the 1812 Overture, Piano concerto N.1 in B-flat minor (1875), Violin Concerto, operas such as The Queen of Spades, Eugene Onegin, Capriccio Italien and his three ballets (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty). The Swan lake (or по русскии: Лебединое озеро) was premiered at the Bolshoi Theater of Moscow in 1977 and many other works were performed there.
Tchaikovsky is one of the most important composer in the all history of music and russians are really proud of him.
In Moscow there is also a Concert Hall in his honor.
So, Saturday could be the perfect day to go to theatre and listen some of his amazing compositions! And here you can find “the best of Tchaikovsky”. Enjoy!
До скорого!
Elena
