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Portrait of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Romantic · 1840–1893

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was headed for a quiet career as a civil servant, clerking at the Ministry of Justice in St. Petersburg, before he enrolled in the city's brand-new conservatory in his early twenties. He went on to teach at the Moscow Conservatory and became the first Russian composer to win audiences across the world, traveling as far as New York, where he conducted at the opening festivities of Carnegie Hall in 1891.

For thirteen years he was supported by Nadezhda von Meck, a wealthy widow who funded his composing on one strict condition: that the two of them never meet. They exchanged well over a thousand letters. His gift was melody joined to open feeling, poured into symphonies, concertos, and the three ballets, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, that still anchor the ballet repertoire.

Start with the Piano Concerto no. 1, whose opening minutes are instantly familiar, then the Nutcracker, ideally the complete score rather than just the suite.

150 works in the catalog, across 5 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.

Chamber

  • Piano Trio in A minor, op. 50, "In Memory of a Great Artist"
  • Souvenir de Florence, for string sextet or string orchestra in D major, op. 70
  • 4 Movements for String Quartet
  • Nocturne, for cello and small orchestra in D minor, op. 19, no. 4
  • Souvenir d'un lieu cher, for violin and piano, op. 42
  • String Quartet in B flat major
  • String Quartet no. 1 in D major, op. 11
  • String Quartet no. 2 in F major, op. 22
  • String Quartet no. 3 in E flat minor, op. 30
  • Valse sentimentale, for violin and piano in F minor, op. 51, no. 6

Keyboard

  • The Seasons, op. 37b
  • 2 Morceaux, op. 10
  • 2 Pieces, op. 1
  • 3 Morceaux, op. 9
  • 6 Morceaux, op. 19
  • 6 Morceaux, op. 51
  • 6 Morceaux composés sur un seul thème, op. 21
  • 12 Morceaux, difficulté moyen, op. 40
  • 18 Morceaux, op. 72
  • 50 Russian Folk Songs
  • Aveu passionné in E
  • Capriccio in G flat major, op. 8
  • Children's Album: 24 Easy Pieces, op. 39
  • Dumka in C minor, op. 59
  • Grand Sonata in G major, op. 37
  • Impromptu-caprice in G
  • Impromptu in A flat major
  • Lullaby
  • March for the Volunteer Fleet in C
  • Military March in B flat major
  • Piano Sonata in C sharp minor, op. 80
  • Potpourri on Themes from the opera Voyevoda
  • Romance in F minor, op. 5
  • Souvenir de Hapsal, op. 2
  • Theme and Variations in A minor
  • Valse-scherzo no. 1 in A major, op. 7
  • Valse-scherzo no. 2 in A
  • Valse caprice in D major, op. 4

Orchestral

  • Francesca da Rimini in E minor, op. 32 Symphonic fantasy
  • Manfred Symphony in B minor, op. 58
  • Nutcracker, op. 71a Suite from the ballet
  • Piano Concerto no. 1 in B flat minor, op. 23
  • Piano Concerto no. 3 in E flat major, op. post.75
  • Romeo and Juliet Fantasy overture
  • Serenade for Strings in C major, op. 48
  • Symphony no. 2 in C minor, op. 17, "Little Russian"
  • Symphony no. 4 in F minor, op. 36
  • Symphony no. 5 in E minor, op. 64
  • Symphony no. 6 in B minor, op. 74, "Pathétique"
  • The Swan Lake, op. 20a Suite from the ballet
  • Variations on a Rococo Theme, for cello and orchestra in A major, op. 33
  • Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35
  • 1812 Festival Overture, in E flat major, op. 49
  • Andante and Finale for Piano and Orchestra, op. 79
  • Capriccio Italien, op. 45
  • Concert Fantasia for Piano and Orchestra in G major, op. 56
  • Elegy, for string orchestra in G, "In Memory of Ivan Samarin"
  • Fatum, op. post. 77
  • Festival Coronation March
  • Festival Overture on the Danish National Hymn, op. 15
  • Final Waltz and Apotheosis
  • Hamlet, in F minor, op. 67 Fantasy overture
  • Jurists' March in D
  • Majestic March
  • Nocturne for Cello and Orchestra
  • None But the Lonely Heart
  • Overture in F
  • Pezzo capriccioso for cello and orchestra in B minor, op. 62
  • Piano Concerto no. 2 in G major, op. 44
  • Polonaise
  • Serenade in D
  • Slavonic March, op. 31
  • Suite no. 1, in D minor, op. 43
  • Suite no. 2, in C, op. 53, "Charactéristique"
  • Suite no. 3, in G major, op. 55
  • Suite no. 4, op. 61, "Mozartiana"
  • Symphony no. 1 in G minor, op. 13, "Winter Dreams"
  • Symphony no. 3 in D major, op. 29, "Polish"
  • Sérénade mélancolique, for violin and orchestra in B minor, op. 26
  • Sérénade mélancolique in B flat minor, op. 26
  • The Sleeping Beauty, op. 66a Suite from the ballet
  • The Storm, op. 76
  • The Tempest, in F minor, op. 18 Fantasy overture
  • The Voyevoda Op.78
  • Valse-scherzo, for violin and orchestra in C major, op. 34
  • Valse-Scherzo, op. 34
  • Waltz

Stage

  • Eugene Onegin, op. 24 Opera
  • Pique Dame, op. 68 Opera
  • Cherevichki Opera
  • Dmitri the Pretender and Vasily Shuysky Incidental music
  • Hamlet for soprano, baritone, and orchestra, op. 67a Incidental music
  • Iolanta, op. 69 Opera
  • Mazeppa Opera
  • Nutcracker, op. 71 Ballet
  • The Maid of Orléans Opera
  • The Oprichnik Opera
  • The Sleeping Beauty, op. 66 Ballet
  • The Snow Maiden, op. 12
  • The Sorceress Opera
  • The Swan Lake, op. 20 Ballet
  • The Voyevoda, op. 3 Opera
  • Undine

Vocal

  • 'Tis Not the Cuckoo in the Damp Pinewood
  • 6 Church Songs
  • 6 Duets, op. 46
  • 6 French Songs, op. 65
  • 6 Romances, op. 6
  • 6 Romances, op. 16
  • 6 Romances, op. 25
  • 6 Romances, op. 27
  • 6 Romances, op. 28
  • 6 Romances, op. 38
  • 6 Romances, op. 57
  • 6 Romances, op. 63
  • 6 Romances, op. 73
  • 7 Romances, op. 47
  • 9 Sacred Pieces
  • 12 Romances, op. 60
  • 16 Children's Songs, op. 54
  • An Angel Cried Out
  • Blessed is He
  • Blessed is He who Smiles
  • Blue Eyes of Spring
  • Crown of Roses
  • Crying about Mahommed
  • Dostoino yest
  • I Should Like in a Single Word
  • Khotel bi v edinoye slovo, for voice and piano
  • Let My Prayer Ascend
  • Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, op. 41
  • Mein Liebchen
  • Mezza notte, "Midnight"
  • Moscow, for mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra
  • Moy geniy, moy anguel, moy drug, for voice and piano
  • My Genius, my Angel, my Friend
  • Nature and Love, for 2 sopranos, alto, female chorus, and piano
  • Night
  • Nightingale
  • Not a word, O my Friend, op. 6, no. 2
  • Oh no! Do Not Love Me for my Beauty
  • Praise the Name of the Lord
  • So Soon Forgotten
  • Sunrise
  • Take My Heart Away
  • The Golden Cloud has Slept
  • Vesper Service, op. 52
  • We Have Not Far to Walk
  • You Were in my Dream
  • Zemfira's Song

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