Tchaikovsky Archive

The concerto begins slowly with an introduction by the orchestra. This gives way to the entrance of the soloist, who introduces the first movement’s main melody, one of Tchaikovsky’s most beautiful themes. The soloist’s music …

By 1892, when he was working on early sections of his sixth symphony, Tchaikovsky was one of the most famous composers in the world — a man whose fame redounded to the glory of his …

Tchaikovsky wrote his Violin Concerto in March 1878 while staying amid the breathtaking mountains of Clarens, Switzerland on Lake Geneva. The work was spurred by a visit from the violinist Iosif Kotek, who had been …

Piotr Tchaikovsky composed his Fifth Symphony between May and August 26, 1888, and conducted the first performance in Saint Petersburg on November 17 of that year. Theodore Thomas, who would found the Chicago Orchestra two …

The symphony #5 opens with the motto theme (a theme that recurs) quietly played by the clarinet. The Allegro also begins with a gently moving theme doubled by the bassoon. The development section travels through …