Name______Date______Works Like Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), Tchaikovsky became known to audiences throughout Europe in part for the distinctly Russian nationalist character of his music. He occasionally wove Russian folk tunes into his orchestral music, such as in his second symphony. Tchaikovsky also drew on his Russian heritage by using a story from Russian poet laureate Alexander Puskhin for his operatic masterpiece, Eugene Onegin. With deeply emotional melodic lines cast around a story of love and loss, the opera continues to move audiences today. chaikovsky But Tchaikovsky was less concerned about making his music sound “Russian” than Mussorgsky T

or Rimsky-Korsakov. Tchaikovsky had formal music training, and he taught for a time at the Moscow Conservatory, where the traditions of Western classical music were studied most intently. Thus Tchaikovsky was also at home writing in a more “international” style descended from Mozart and Beethoven. Like Mozart, he wrote for a variety of ensembles and genres:

yich numerous pieces for orchestra, eight operas, concertos for piano and violin, and chamber

l music. For their complexity of thematic content and striking harmonic contrasts, his fourth and I

sixth symphonies are considered masterpieces of the genre. Tchaikovsky also wrote three very popular ballets, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, which have become part of the standard repertory. In his music for these ballets, Tchaikovsky achieved an unprecedented balance between melody and movement, creating some of the most evocative and beloved music ever to grace the ballet stage. eter Influence P Along with Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky was an influential ambassador of Russian musical heritage to the Western world. But Tchaikovsky’s influence also stretches far beyond his “Russianness.” He was a master melodist,orchestrator , and symphonist, and his music continues to be performed frequently on the concert stage. And though he only wrote three ballets, Tchaikovsky is one of the best-known and loved ballet composers of all time.

Composer Essentials 1840 1840 Tchaikovsky is born Who: Pyotr (Peter) Ilyich Tchaikovsky When: 1840-1893 Where: Russia Key Works: 8 operas (esp. Eugene Onegin), 3 ballets (Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, 1870 The Nutcracker), 7 symphonies (the last unfinished), 3 piano concertos, violin concerto, 1812 Overture 1874 Symphony No. 1 Terms 1875 Piano Concerto No. 1 nationalism – in music, the embracing of folk music as representative of national 1876 Swan Lake (ballet) identity 1878 Eugene Onegin (opera) ballet – a staged artistic dance genre that uses formalized steps and gestures 1878 Symphony No. 4 orchestration – choice of instruments used to play the music 1878 Violin Concerto 1880 1880 1812 Overture Apply Your Knowledge! Write your answers on the back or on a separate sheet of paper. 1890 1890 The Sleeping Beauty (ballet) 1) List two of Tchaikovsky’s works that could be considered Russian. 2) What about these works (from question 1) is Russian? 1892 The Nutcracker (ballet) 3) Why can Tchaikovsky be considered both a “nationalist” and an “international” composer? 1893 Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique) 4) List at least four genres for which Tchaikovsky wrote. 1893 Tchaikovsky dies Perform a work by Tchaikovsky on page 33 of Tradition of Excellence, Book 2. 1895

Worksheet written by Mark C. Samples, PhD, musicologist, author, composer, and editor. © 2012 Kjos Music Press. This page authorized for duplication.