Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky had one of the most striking final years of any major composer. In it, he conducted throughout Europe, earned an honorary doctorate, created arguably his greatest symphony – and then died shockingly. Today we’re looking at everything

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died fifteen minutes after three o’clock on the morning of 6 November 1893, according to the “Western calendar.” Newspapers printed announcements of the composer’s death, and his body lay in state for public viewing. The Petersburg Gazette

For those in cold, northern climes, the lure of the south is sometimes inescapable. Whether you’re a snowbird in Florida or a frozen Russian in lovely Italy, there’s something there that just calls you back. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) had

Canadian pianist Sheng Cai takes a fresh look at Tchaikovsky‘s piano music, highlighting repertoire often overshadowed by the piano concertos. In this recording, Cai presents selections from the composer’s solo piano output: the Grand Sonata for piano, a work of

It is well-known that Mozart was one of the most important influences on the music of Tchaikovsky. Of him, Tchaikovsky used to say that he was the highest, the culminating point that beauty has attained in the sphere of music. The

When Léo Delibes died in Paris on 16 January 1891, the musical world lost a composer who had quietly but decisively altered the course of ballet music. His passing came at a moment of transition, as classical ballet was moving away

No country does winter like Russia, and no composer evokes Russia like Tchaikovsky. Today we’re looking at Tchaikovsky’s most wintry works. What makes a piece of classical music “wintry”, you might ask? Here’s a starting point: References in the title

We’re working our way into that time of year – you can get ambushed around every corner by The Nutcracker. Either as a standing figure occupying a store window or audibly with audio in the store. Tchaikovsky – he’s everywhere!