Childhood
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in the village of Votkinsk, Vyatka province (Udmurtia) in 1840. He grew up in a large family of an engineer: besides him there were three more children - two brothers and one sister. The boy's parents were fond of music; they knew how to play the flute and piano. So little Tchaikovsky fell in love with the melodic sound of musical instruments from early childhood. At the age of 5, the boy had already mastered the piano, and after another 2 years he played notes. In 1850 the whole family moved to St. Petersburg. In 1854, the mother of the future composer died of cholera. The children were left in the care of their father, who also fell ill but managed to recover.
Painting by artist A. Parkhomenko “Petya Tchaikovsky”.
Personal life: “I can’t live without you”
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Photo: gq.ru
Pyotr Tchaikovsky with his brothers. Photo: gq.ru
Pyotr Tchaikovsky with his wife Antonina Milyukova. 1877. State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve P.I. Tchaikovsky, Klin, Moscow region
In 1868, Pyotr Tchaikovsky met the French opera singer Desiree Artaud, who came on tour to Russia that year. For her, the composer composed several romances and a piece for piano. He wrote to Brother Modest: “Ah! Modinka, if only you knew what a singer and actress Artaud is! Never before have I been under such a strong charm of an artist as this time. How you would admire her gestures and the grace of her movements and poses!” Tchaikovsky wanted to marry Artaud, but her parents opposed the wedding. The composer and singer broke up and no longer communicated.
Tchaikovsky's only wife was Antonina Milyukova, a student at the Moscow Conservatory. They met in 1872 at one of the musical evenings. Milyukova sent Tchaikovsky letters with declarations of love.
“Will you really stop corresponding with me without even seeing me once? No, I’m sure that you won’t be so cruel!.. I’ll be ready to throw myself on your neck and kiss you, but what right do I have to do that? You may take this as impudence on my part... I cannot live without you, and therefore I may soon commit suicide. So let me look at you and kiss you so that in the next world I will remember this kiss. Goodbye. Yours forever A.M.”
Antonina Milyukova, from letters to Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky and Milyukova married in 1877. The news of the wedding delighted the composer’s father: “I crossed myself and even jumped for joy. God bless! God bless you!!!" However, the composer and singer soon broke up. They never finalized the divorce, but they stopped living together.
Later years and death
At the end of his life, P.I. Tchaikovsky returns to Moscow. Later he settles in the small town of Klin, where after his death the composer’s museum will open. In the city, he creates a school for peasants and composes compositions, writes music for the ballet “The Nutcracker”, the operas “Iolanta” and “The Queen of Spades”. In 1893 in St. Petersburg he died of cholera. This is where he was buried.
House-museum in the city of Klin.
Interesting facts from life
Much is known about Tchaikovsky’s life, but not everyone knows about some facts.
- He created not only musical works, but also wrote poems, as well as texts for his operas.
- The music teachers who gave lessons to Tchaikovsky did not see any special talent in him.
- The composer loved listening to Mozart's music.
- Pyotr Ilyich traveled all his life. If he spent a long time in other countries, he missed his homeland. But even in Russia he could not live in one place for long.
- The musician was a bad conductor. Even at school he had the lowest grade in this subject.
- The great composer helped put out a fire in the city of Klin, while other people just stood and watched.
- For several years, Pyotr Ilyich worked as a journalist in a newspaper. He wrote notes and messages for publishing houses, but did not sign his real name.
- In honor of the great composer in 1956, at the request of the residents, the city of Tchaikovsky was named. Previously, it was a small settlement of workers called Saigatka. Gradually it grew into a city. It is located 37 kilometers from the village where the musician was born.
Monument to the composer in the city named after him.
Creativity flourishes
After completing his education, Tchaikovsky moved to Moscow, where he became a teacher at the conservatory. In 1878 he left Russia for Italy, and then to Switzerland. There he created his famous operas “Eugene Onegin” and “Oprichnik”, wrote plays that were included in the collection “Children’s Album”, composed the cycle “The Seasons” and many others. He constantly travels to different countries, where his concerts delight the audience.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is a great Russian composer.
Study and beginning of musical activity
Pyotr Ilyich first studied at home, where he was helped by a governess. Education continued at the boarding school, and then the young man entered the school, where he taught law. At this time, Tchaikovsky was engaged in musical creativity as an elective. He began to take a serious interest in opera and ballet and went to theaters. For some time the young man works as a lawyer, but then enters the conservatory. During his studies, the composer created his first great musical works. Some of them were included in the ballet “Swan Lake”.
