Research Catalog

Title

Tchaikovsky, the man and his music / David Brown.

Author

Brown, David, 1929-2014

Publication

London : Faber and Faber, 2006.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xix, 460 p., [8] p. of plates : ill.; 24 cm.

Summary

"This very distinctive new work on Tchaikovsky uniquely combines a lively biography of Russia's best-loved composer with a chronological guide to his music, ranging from the popular symphonies, concertos, operas and ballets, to some lesser-known pieces. Professor Brown guides the reader through Tchaikovsky's music within the context of his life, and the result is a book which will be perhaps of particular interest to those who, knowing little or nothing of classical music, might wish to become acquainted with some of the greatest and most moving music ever composed."--BOOK JACKET.

Subjects

• Biographies
• Composers > Russia > Biography
• Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilich, 1840-1893

Genre/Form

Biographies

Note

• Includes index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Prelude. Childhood 1 : Votkinsk -- Childhood 2 : St. Petersburg -- Civil service : personal matters, and conservatoire -- The Moscow years. Moscow conservatoire : first symphony -- First opera : enter Balakirev -- Approaching classical music, and some hints -- Aborted marriage : Romeo and Juliet -- First quartet and The Oprichnik -- High nationalism : second symphony and The Tempest -- Two contrasting masterpieces : Vakula the Smith/Cherevichki and first piano concerto -- Towards an epoch-making ballet : third symphony, third quartet, and Swan Lake -- Towards the crisis : Francesca da Rimini -- Two women : marriage -- Two masterpieces : fourth symphony and Eugene Onegin -- The nomad years. The Russian refugee : violin concerto -- Personal freedom, and creative trough -- Confidences with his best friend : second piano concerto -- The wandering recluse : 1812 and serenade for strings -- Family matters : piano trio -- Mazeppa to second suite -- Contrasting relationships : third suite -- Celebrity at last, and his own home -- The celebrity years. Manfred Symphony and The Enchantress -- Widening horizons : pleasures, and pains -- First foreign tour ; A relationship renewed ; Fifth symphony and Hamlet -- Second foreign tour : The Sleeping Beauty -- Two further relationships : The Queen of Spades -- A relationship ends : American tour -- Double-bill : a relationship renewed -- The final celebrity years : sixth symphony -- Cambridge honour : the final mystery -- Appendix 1. Brief descriptions of musical forms -- Appendix 2. Explanations of key, modulation and ciphering -- Appendix 3. Glossaries of musical terms and non-English words.

ISBN

• 0571231942 (hbk.)
• 9780571231942 (hbk.)

OCLC

• 70671827
• SCSB-9896103

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library