Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky: Turmoil, Criticism, and Popularity

Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky was a mid-1800’s Russian composer. Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840 in Votinsk, Russia. He showed interest in the piano when young and began lessons at five, but his tutors and parents did not consider him a prodigy (Masha). Tchaikovsky was sent to school to be a clerk at the age of nine, and many believe Tchaikovsky took a serious interest in composing when he was fourteen after his beloved mother died of cholera (Ewen 375). Tchaikovsky work was criticized by others and himself during his life and most of Tchaikovsky’s life is characterized by an emotional turmoil that influenced his music, but his work has had an enduring popularity entitling him a successful composer.
When Tchaikovsky was 21, he quit his job as a clerk and entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He received menial success at the conservatory with a cantata based on Schiller’s “Ode to Joy”, and an orchestra overture. Tchaikovsky was among the criticizers of these works. Tchaikovsky then became the professor of harmony at the new Moscow Conservatory and composed the tone poem “Fatum” and his first opera The Voyevoda. Both of these works were thrown away by Tchaikovsky in frustration. He wrote his first symphony Winter Dreams at the Moscow Conservatory which had moderate success. Most of his works underwent multiple revisions before the public enjoyed them and Tchaikovsky was satisfied with them, for example his third revision of his symphonic fantasy based on Romeo and Juliet is the most popular (376).
Tchaikovsky had three notable relationships in his life. The first was with Désirée Artôt, who left him for another man after she and Tchaikovsky spoke of marriage together. Afterwards he began to have homosexual inclinations over wh...

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... composers Tchaikovsky had to revise his work multiple times and did not have immediate success with his compositions. Tchaikovsky’s three significant relationships caused him more emotional turmoil that influenced his work. His most successful period was during his contact with Mme. von Meck and his compositions after their relationship ended are believe to be the most emotional. Tchaikovsky’s death is considered a suicide. His compositions are still widely enjoyed today. Interestingly, his music has been included in multiple movies released every year since the first movie with sound, The Jazz Singer, released in 1927 (Shelokhonov). His three ballets are the most popular ballets of all time; during Christmas The Nutcracker is produced worldwide. Tchaikovsky’s was able to effectively express his emotions, thus the tragedies he endured helped make his music eternal.