History Music / PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky

* AwfulWeddedLife: The composer was less than comfortable with his homosexuality and in 1877 married one of his former students, Antonina Miliukova, likely to please his family and [[TheBeard quash rumors of his sexual orientation]]. It was a disaster, the couple being an utter mismatch on several levels, and they separated after six weeks -- though they never officially divorced. Tchaikovsky often referred to her as "the reptile" in post-separation correspondence.

* AwfulWeddedLife: The composer was less than comfortable with his homosexuality and in 1877 married one of his former students, Antonina Miliukova, likely to please his family and quash rumors of his sexual orientation. It was a disaster, the couple being an utter mismatch on several levels, and they separated after six weeks -- though they never officially divorced. Tchaikovsky often referred to her as "the reptile" in post-separation correspondence.

** The Symphony No. 6 in B minor ("Pathétique") is accurately named, featuring a despairingly sad, pessimistic finale. A notable exception to the prevailing tendency to end symphonies in an upbeat way.

** Tchaikovsky died November 6, 1893 after inadvisably drinking an unboiled glass of water during a cholera epidemic. Those dining with him at the time were reportedly aghast when they saw him do so. However, [[DrivenToSuicide he may have done this on purpose]]. Even today, there is no agreement on his motive.

* UncommonTime: The second movement of the Symphony No. 6 ''Pathetique'' is written in 5/4, one of the first uses of quintuple time in classical music since the Baroque era.

* [[RaisedCatholic Raised Russian Orthodox]]: Tchaikovksy was raised a Russian Orthodox Christian, but he was not particularly devout, having written to his patroness Nadezhda von Meck: "As you can see, I am still bound to the Church by strong ties, but on the other hand I have long ceased to believe in the dogma." He was, however, profoundly attached to the Orthodox Church's rituals and music and wrote a liturgical composition based on the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, a Eucharistic service in the Eastern Christian Church.

* MoneyDearBoy: Some of his most famous works (such as ''The Nutcracker'' and ''1812 Overture'') were done strictly on commission, without Tchaikovksy taking my personal investment in them. Doesn't make it bad music, though.

* DancePartyEnding: The final act of ''Theatre/TheNutcracker'' consists of a collection of dance scenes that involve magical beings (a sugar plum fairy), flutes, flowers, snowflakes, and various ethnic characters (Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Arab). Similarly, ''The Sleeping Beauty'' wraps up the story at the end of Act 2, and the final act is a pageant for the wedding of the title character and the prince, with a suite of dances performed by other fairy-tale characters.

* DancePartyEnding: The final act of ''Theatre/TheNutcracker'' consists of a collection of dance scenes that involve magical beings (a sugar plum fairy), flutes, flowers, snowflakes, and various ethnic characters (Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Arab).

* RevivalByCommercialization: ''Theatre/TheNutcracker'' was mostly forgotten about after its initial run, though the concert suite had a better life. ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'' brought it back to the public notice in the 1940s, and by the 1960s it was an annual tradition for many opera companies.

* ToughActToFollow: His Piano Concerto No. 1 is so popular, both in his time and ours, (and was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchaikovsky_Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Van_Cliburn_1958_recording) the first classical album to sell over a million copies]]) that the Second and Third Concertos are almost forgotten.

* {{Fanfare}}: The Fourth Symphony starts off with a striking fanfare that suddenly pops up again in the last movement.

* FriendlyRivalry: Tchaikovsky's relationship with the "Russian Five" was complicated. The group's members initially disliked Tchaikovsky because he had been a student of Anton Rubenstein, whose Westernized, academic music aesthetic clashed with "The Five"'s wish to make their works more authentically Russian. One of its members, composer and critic Cesar Cui, regularly wrote scathing reviews of Tchaikovsky's work. They eventually grew to like each other over time, however, helped in part by Tchaikovsky's writing a positive review of a work by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Despite this, he remained ambivalent about their music.

* ''Film/TheMusicLovers'', a characteristically UpToEleven biopic by Creator/KenRussell.

* FriendlyRivalry: Tchaikovsky's relationship with the "Russian Five" was complicated. The group's members initially disliked Tchaikovsky because he had been a student of Anton Rubenstein, whose Westernized, academic music aesthetic clashed with "The Five"'s wish to make their works more authentically Russian. One of its members, composer and critic Cesar Cui, regularly wrote scathing reviews of Tchaikovsky's work. They eventually grew to like each other over time, however, helped in part by Tchaikovsky's writing a positive review of a work by Music/NikolaiRimskyKorsakov. Despite this, he remained ambivalent about their music.

The ''Music/CapriccioItalien'' is another reasonably famous piece, a medley of various Italian songs he claimed to have heard on vacation. Or cribbed from anthologies, showing that the practice of sampling is nothing new in music.

* AnonymousBenefactor: The patronage of [[UsefulNotes/NadezhdaVonMeck Nadezhda von Meck]] allowed Tchaikovsky to devote himself full-time to composition from 1877 to 1890; the composer dedicated his Symphony No. 4 in F minor to her. The only stipulation the reclusive Meck put on their arrangement was that they never meet in person; the two exchanged a voluminous correspondence, numbering approximately 1200 letters, but indeed never met. Meck gave financial assistance to several other composers, including Music/HenrykWieniawski and a young Music/ClaudeDebussy.
* AwfulWeddedLife: The composer was less than comfortable with his homosexuality and in 1877 married one of his former students, UsefulNotes/AntoninaMiliukova, likely to please his family and quash rumors of his sexual orientation. It was a disaster, the couple being an utter mismatch on several levels, and they separated after six weeks -- though they never officially divorced. Tchaikovsky often referred to her as "the reptile" in post-separation correspondence.

* FriendlyRivalry: Tchaikovsky's relationship with the "[[Music/TheMightyHandful Russian Five]]" was complicated. The group's members initially disliked Tchaikovsky because he had been a student of Music/AntonRubenstein, whose Westernized, academic music aesthetic clashed with "The Five"'s wish to make their works more authentically Russian. One of its members, composer and critic Music/CesarCui, regularly wrote scathing reviews of Tchaikovsky's work. They eventually grew to like each other over time, however, helped in part by Tchaikovsky's writing a positive review of a work by Music/NikolayRimskyKorsakov. Despite this, he remained ambivalent about their music.

* LighterAndSofter: Applies to several fine lesser-known pieces in this composer's output, including the Serenade for Strings in C major, ''Music/VariationsOnARococoTheme'' for solo cello and orchestra, the first three symphonies, the four orchestral suites, and the second and third piano concertos. Tchaikovsky's favorite composer was Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart, and these works most clearly demonstrate that love.

* PatrioticFervor: Both the ''1812 Overture'' and ''Music/MarcheSlav'' respectively feature Russian and Serbian nationalistic elements.

* TravelogueShow: Or travelogue work in the case of ''Music/CapriccioItalien'', an Italian-flavored tone poem.

** Tchaikovsky died November 6, 1893 after inadvisably drinking an unboiled glass of water during a cholera epidemic. Those dining with him at the time were reportedly aghast when they saw him do so.

* HappilyEverAfter: In contrast to the DownerEnding of ''Theatre/SwanLake'', both ''Theatre/TheNutcracker'' (usually) and ''Literature/SleepingBeauty'' conclude on a positive note.

** The Symphony No. 6 in B minor ("Pathetique") is accurately named, featuring a despairingly sad, pessimistic finale. A notable exception to the prevailing tendency to end symphonies in an upbeat way.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian Romantic composer, most famous for ballets ''Theatre/SwanLake'', ''Literature/SleepingBeauty'', and ''Theatre/TheNutcracker.'' Also known for the ''[[Music/EighteenTwelveOverture 1812 Overture]]'', which features cannons. His first name is usually anglicized as Peter. One of the first known gay composers, he suffered much during his lifetime, and it shows through his music.

* AnonymousBenefactor: The patronage of [[UsefulNotes/NadezhdaVonMeck Nadezhda von Meck]] allowed Tchaikovsky to devote himself full-time to composition from 1877 to 1890; the composer dedicated his ''[[Music/SymphonyNoFourInFMinor Symphony No. 4 in F minor]]'' to her. The only stipulation the reclusive Meck put on their arrangement was that they never meet in person; the two exchanged a voluminous correspondence, numbering approximately 1200 letters, but indeed never met. Meck gave financial assistance to several other composers, including Music/HenrykWieniawski and a young Music/ClaudeDebussy.

** The ''[[Music/SymphonyNoSixInBMinorPathetique Symphony No. 6 in B minor]] ("Pathetique")'' is accurately named, featuring a despairingly sad, pessimistic finale. A notable exception to the prevailing tendency to end symphonies in an upbeat way.

* FriendlyRivalry: Tchaikovsky's relationship with the "[[Music/TheMightyHandful Russian Five]]" was complicated. The group's members initially disliked Tchaikovsky because he had been a student of Music/AntonRubenstein, whose Westernized, academic music aesthetic clashed with "The Five"'s wish to make their works more authentically Russian. One of its members, composer and critic Music/CesarCui, regularly wrote scathing reviews of Tchaikovsky's work. They eventually grew to like each other over time, however, helped in part by Tchaikovsky's writing a positive review of a work by [[Music/NikolayRimskyKorsakov Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov]]. Despite this, he remained ambivalent about their music.

* LighterAndSofter: Applies to several fine lesser-known pieces in this composer's output, including the ''[[Music/SerenadeForStringsInCMajor Serenade for Strings in C major]]'', ''[[Music/VariationsOnARococoTheme Variations on a Rococo Theme]]'' for solo cello and orchestra, the first three symphonies, the four orchestral suites, and the second and third piano concertos. Tchaikovsky's favorite composer was Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart, and these works most clearly demonstrate that love.

* OrchestralBombing: Pretty much the entire point of the ''[[Music/EighteenTwelveOverture 1812 Overture]]'', in which the score (depicting Russia's defeat of Napoleon's army) actually calls for [[StuffBlowingUp real cannons to be fired]] at the finale. To quote ComicStrip/{{Calvin|AndHobbes}}:

* PatrioticFervor: Both the ''[[Music/EighteenTwelveOverture 1812 Overture]]'' and ''Music/MarcheSlav'' respectively feature Russian and Serbian nationalistic elements.

* StandardSnippet: His music is a particularly rich source of these. Many selections and passages from ''Theatre/TheNutcracker'' (thanks to ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}''), the ''[[Music/EighteenTwelveOverture 1812 Overture]]'', ''Music/MarcheSlav'', and the "swan theme" from ''Theatre/SwanLake'', as well as the "love theme" from the overture to ''Music/RomeoAndJuliet'' quoted in several love scenes.

* LighterAndSofter: Applies to several fine lesser-known pieces in this composer's output, including the ''[[Music/SerenadeForStringsInCMajor Serenade for Strings in C major]]'', the first three symphonies, the four orchestral suites, and the second and third piano concertos. Tchaikovsky's favorite composer was Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart, and these works most clearly demonstrate that love.

** The composer was less than comfortable with his homosexuality and in 1877 married one of his students, UsefulNotes/AntoninaMiliukova, likely to please his family and quash rumors of his sexual orientation. It was a disaster, the couple being an utter mismatch on several levels, and they separated after six weeks -- though they never officially divorced. Tchaikovsky often referred to her as "the reptile" in post-separation correspondence.

* WhatWereYouThinking: Tchaikovsky died November 6, 1893 after inadvisably drinking an unboiled glass of water during a cholera epidemic. Those dining with him at the time were reportedly aghast when they saw him do so.