The Life and Compositions of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840 in Votkinsk, a small town in the Udmurt Republic in the Russian Empire. His family had a long run of military servers, including his father and grandfather. Pyotr was the second eldest of the six surviving children of his family. When Tchaikovsky was just five years old, he began taking piano lessons, falling in love with music. Although his parents respected his decision to pursue music, they always hoped that he would root back to a job in the civil services, like his parents and ancestors.

When Pyotr was just ten years old, he enrolled in the prestigious Imperial School of Jurisprudence, a boarding school in St. Petersburg, Russia. His mother, Alexandra, passed away of cholera in 1859, when Tchaikovsky was just fouteen years old. In 1863, he moved to Moscow, where he became a professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory.

There are many famous pieces in which were composed by this talented musician, including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and the Nutcracker. Each of these famous musical works became a ballet, which can now be viewed in many theaters across the world. Both Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty are considered to be equally popular, and both considered by many two of the greatest classical ballets of all time. The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition that is always performed in the month of December both at local theatres and in major cities.

Tchaikovsky died in St. Petersburg, Russia at the age of fifty three. His death was supposedly due to Cholera; however, many other rumors swonder around. Some believe that he committed suicide due to a sex scandal trial, although only oral clams can back that up. Whether it is a Holiday showing of the Nutcracker, or a Matinee performance of Swan Lake, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky will always be remembered for his top notch compositions.