For much of the Western world and beyond, Christmas without the Nutcracker just wouldn’t be Christmas! To me, this has always been somewhat surprising as there is absolutely nothing in the ballet that connects it with the story of the

The Belgian mezzo-soprano Désirée Artôt (1835-1907) studied with Pauline Viardot and Francesco Lamperti in London and in Paris. She started her career at the Paris Opera in 1858 when Giacomo Meyerbeer engaged her to sing in his Le prophète. Berlioz,

Boris Asafyev, one of the founders of Soviet musicology, wrote the following summary assessment regarding Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “He was the first composer of a new Russian type… in a deeply original, personal and national style he united the symphonic

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was, and still is, an international musical superstar. However, the first professional composer of consequence in Russia was an elusive man who simultaneously craved and loathed fame. In a letter to his music publisher, he writes, “I

“Inspiration does not willingly visit the lazy” Ten days after the successful premiere of his Sixth Symphony in 1893, a raging cholera epidemic claimed the life of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), one of Russia’s most famous composers. His music appealed

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was trained within a conservatory tradition that emphasized Western compositional techniques and expressions. As such, we would expect to find a multitude of intimate works for small ensembles. In reality, however, his published chamber output is

12 Morceaux, Op. 40 No. 9. Valse in F – Sharp Minor From TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Piano Music – 12 Morceaux / Souvenir de Hapsal / Valse-Scherzos / Capriccio / Valse-caprice (2017) Released by Naxos Tchaikovsky: 12 Morceaux, Op. 40 –

String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 (1871) II Andante cantabile From The Heath Quartet Tchaikovsky: String Quartets No. 1 & No. 3 (2016) Released by Harmonia Mundi Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11