Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Died On This Day in 1893

He died just 9 days after the premiere of his Sixth "Pathétique" Symphony

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died on this day in 1893 from cholera, aged just 53.

The notable Russian composer from the Romantic era, was the first Russian composer to achieve enduring international acclaim. Tchaikovsky's contributions to the classical music canon are significant, with his works such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, his Piano Concerto No. 1, Violin Concerto, Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, several symphonies, and the opera Eugene Onegin remaining among the most beloved and frequently performed pieces in the repertoire.

Tchaikovsky started the piano at the age of five. Remarkably gifted, within three years, he had mastered the ability to read sheet music with the same proficiency as his instructor. Initially supportive, Tchaikovsky's parents went to great lengths to nurture his musical talent, employing a tutor and acquiring an orchestrion (an instrument capable of simulating complex orchestral sounds).

However, in 1850, they made the decision to enroll Tchaikovsky in the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in Saint Petersburg. Being graduates themselves from this institute, they believed that an education at the School of Jurisprudence, which primarily catered to the lesser nobility, would equip Tchaikovsky for a career in civil service. During this time period, musical opportunities in Russia were limited, with the exception of positions as teachers in academies or instrumentalists in the Imperial Theaters, both of which were considered low-status occupations, affording individuals no more rights than peasants.

Tchaikovsky began working as a civil servant in 1959 and served as senior assistant at the Ministry of Justice. During this time he also started studying at the newly established Russian Musical Society, a school founded to foster Russian talent.

These classes served as a precursor to the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, which opened in 1862. Tchaikovsky joined the inaugural class, studying harmony and counterpoint with Nikolai Zaremba and instrumentation and composition under Anton Rubinstein. For his thesis, a cantata based on Schiller’s Ode to Joy, he was awarded a silver medal.

The Conservatory profoundly shaped Tchaikovsky’s musical career. It provided him with professional training that equipped him to excel as a composer while exposing him to European musical principles and forms. This dual influence shaped his belief that Russian and Western musical traditions were intertwined and interdependent, a concept he explored in his works. Tchaikovsky’s approach became a model for other Russian composers seeking to blend native and European elements in their styles.

Although Rubinstein recognized Tchaikovsky as "a composer of genius," he was less receptive to the progressive elements in Tchaikovsky’s student compositions. This tension came to a head when Tchaikovsky submitted his Symphony No. 1 for performance by the Russian Musical Society in Saint Petersburg. Rubinstein and Zaremba demanded significant revisions, and even after Tchaikovsky complied, they refused to perform it. Feeling disrespected, Tchaikovsky withdrew the symphony. The work eventually premiered in Moscow in February 1868, performed as originally conceived.

After graduating in 1865, Tchaikovsky received an offer from Rubinstein’s brother Nikolai to become Professor of Music Theory at the soon-to-open Moscow Conservatory. Although the position paid only 50 rubles a month, the opportunity greatly boosted Tchaikovsky’s confidence, and he eagerly accepted. He supplemented his income by contributing as a musical critic.

MAXIM VENGEROV | TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO | YURI TEMIRKANOV & THE SAINT PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC | 1993