Biography
tchaikovsky was an unusual man in many respects ? he grew up in
st.petersburg in russia and was deemed to be a child prodigy, quickly
attaining a very high standard on the piano by the time he was twelve years
old. after a troubled early family life (his mother died of cholera when he
was just thirteen), tchaikovsky eventually left school and took up a
position in the ministry of justice, where his extraordinary eccentricity
manifested itself in a habit of chewing up official documents! before long,
he was asked to leave and in the pursuit of a career in music, took up a
position at the moscow conservatoire. permanent ill health and mental
problems hounded him throughout his life and his struggle with homosexuality
all contributed to him writing some of the most emotionally charged music of
the day. he married the infamous antonio milyukova (reputed to be a
nymphomaniac) who thought she had the 'power? to cure, what she considered
to be, his sexuality problems. she failed and after just five days of
marriage, tchaikovsky wrote to his brother stating that his wife was
''physically repulsive'' to him ? the marriage broke up shortly after.
tchaikovsky ran away to his sister?s estate at kemenka and made an
unsuccessful attempt to take his own life.the two works on this cd are among the less familiar of his output, when
compared to the 1812 overture, the 4th, 5th and 6th symphonies, the ballet
music and the piano concerto no.1, but contain all the hallmarks of his
melodic genius.
the 'serenade for strings? was written in 1881 around the same time as the
'capriccio italien? and the piano trio in b flat. shortly after, he suffered
from period of not being inspired to write, preferring the good life he had
found at the country estate of nadezhda von meck, a rich benefactor and
source of some comfort. the 'souvenir de florence? was written in 1890 and
revised over the following two years ? originally for string sextet, the
work is heard in its form for string orchestra.
The iClassics Range:
The Black Box iClassics combine world class recordings with worldwide content so you get the very best of both worlds: wonderful performances on CD and a whole new world to explore online via every PC/Mac.
This Black Box 'iClassic' disc plays as a normal audio CD, but when placed in the CD drive of your home computer can take you to directly to a dedicated website where extra content and links to related sites can further enhance your enjoyment and experience of the works featured.
Here on the iClassics sites, you''ll find sleeve notes for the works featured on the CD, composer and artist profiles, details of forthcoming concert appearances around the world, some translations for audiences outside the UK and access to bonus tracks and excerpts of works featured on other iClassics CDs. In addition, we also include hotlinks to recommended sites that we feel you''ll enjoy too.
There is so much more to explore and the Black Box iClassics series is the perfect link. Collect the entire set and enjoy timeless classics from Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Telemann, beautifully performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth, Israela Margalit, The Ambache, Yitkin Seow, Leon McCawley, Irish Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Richard Hickox, Mayumi Seiler and The Academy Ensemble - but remember, these iClassics sites will be continually updated, so there will always be something new to look out for.
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