Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7th of 1840 to a prominent family; he was one of 7 children. He had a love for music at an early age, yet his parents wanted him to find a profession that would afford him both a livelihood and social status. Because of this, Tchaikovsky was sent away to school at the age of ten. Around this age his mother passed away, leaving him extremely distressed and confused. He struggled to cope with her loss and is said to have viewed this as one of the most difficult and disturbing periods of his life. Having returned to school Tchaikovsky continued his studies, working to become a civil servant, a profession in which he advanced quickly but became increasingly dissatisfied with his occupation. He was extremely interested in music and was fortunate to have a supportive father who wanted him to excel in this profession. Tchaikovsky studied music theory under Nikolai Zaremba in St. Petersburg. It was here that Tchaikovsky developed both an understanding of technical composition and respect for Western European style. Upon graduating, he was given a teaching position in Moscow at the newly opened Conservatory. Tchaikovsky became a music critic which gave him opportunities to travel and to truly develop his style. Though critically acclaimed both in his and our time, the life of Tchaikovsky was marked by various episodes of deep depression and confusion. He was a musical giant plagued by personal feelings of inadequacy and embarrassment. Though his works were were not in-line with the progressivism of Western Europe, he pushed past the traditional and nationalist themes expressed by other Russian composers of his time. Tchaikovsky found himself between the Russian nationalists and the western compose... ... middle of paper ... ...ikovsky certainly had his demons. He constantly struggled with depression, specifically brought on by a confusion of his sexuality and his misinterpretations of love. Tchaikovsky was married to Antonina Miliukova for an immense amount of time, just under 3 months. He was constantly haunted by his homosexual tendencies, illegal by law and frowned upon by his culture it is certain that he entertained several homosexual partners, for which he undoubtedly felt a fair amount of guilt. Though he may not have ever conquered his sexual confusion, Tchaikovsky became accepting of it. Tchaikovsky was able to harness his emotions and direct them into his works, making him a composer that many performers and listeners can relate to. After 53 short years of life Tchaikovsky died on November 6th, 1893; his magnificent career have been abruptly ended by a suspected case of cholera.
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev is considered one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century. Not only was Sergeyevich an accomplished pianist, but he was an outstanding and famous conductor as well. He was infinitely skilled at a wide range of musical genres, including symphonies, concerti, operas, program pieces, film music, and ballets. His works were considered both ultra-modern and innovative for their time. Ironically, Prokofiev died on the same day as Stalin - 05 March 1953.
Leo Tolstoy as one of Russia’s great writers, wrote marvelous pieces looking at societal questions and playing with the minds of his readers. The Death of Ivan Ilych is one of Tolstoy’s best written short stories and a popular story for the world on the topic of death and the process of dying. This story is about a man confronting death and in a way bringing life to him during the process of his death. Ivan Ilych fell onto the inevitable trail of death and had realized the true meaning of living along the way. The concept of writing about death is not in any way a new concept nor was it obscure to read in Tolstoy’s era; what makes this short story special is the way that Tolstoy illustrates his character. Ivan Ilych goes through a journey of discovery while he is dying. This story attempts to tackle the questions that cannot be answered; what makes a man happy in life, what makes life worth living?
It was a freezing January day in the city of Archangelsk, Russia. A man by the name of Dmitri Shostakovich picked up the newest issue of Pravda from the newsstands, which were unusually busy today. “Wow, this is really harsh!” “Are Pravda’s expectations THAT high?” people whispered to one another. After reading it briefly, Shostakovich flew into a fit of frustration and rage. This paper called his music “degenerate and decadent” (Stevens)! There is no way that Pravda would trash his music as badly as this. In fact, the article was written under orders by an upset Josef Stalin. These two Russian titans impacted Russia’s culture between 1930 and 1950. They absolutely hated each other! The tension between the two radiated throughout Shostakovich’s music and Stalin’s iron-fisted attitude towards his symphonies. Stalin manipulated composers to the point of suicide for defying his wishes, and he was not afraid to do that to Shostakovich. Somehow, Shostakovich dared to resist Stalin’s evil ways and went on to become a “brilliant and internationally famous composer.
Schwartz, Boris. Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia, 1917-1981. 2nd edition. Indiana University Press, 1983.
In a time period of strict rules of keeping creativity contained, Dmitri Shostakovich wrote under the pressures of the government-imposed standards of Soviet art. However, Shostakovich used his undeniable musical talent to compose pieces with components of sadness and darkness that were, during this time period, challenging the pride of the state. Therefore, he and his music were officially shunned. He continued composing, and began releasing pieces to the public that were the “standard” of Soviet art. At this time, only Shostakovich knew that buried within his seemingly prideful compositions were notes and rhythms of hidden messages challenging the state. Because of his rebellious upbringing and despite negative reactions of the public, Shostakovich continued to challenge the authority of the Soviet Union and fight for freedom of expression with his compositions which were full of mysterious and defiant energy.
Mussorgsky was too knowledgeable about contemporary aesthetic philosophy and was too self-conscious, to the extent that his mental wrestling cut down on further composing. However, he knew what he wanted and felt it his job to flesh out his artistic intuitions. Mussorgsky's music challenged the music in the Nineteenth Century, and laid outside the standard Brahms-vs.-Wagner fight. He opened up a new musical path and a new aesthetic attitude. Even with being a patronized composer in the Nineteenth Century, he escalated to become a hero in the Twentieth.
His love relationships were all tragic, he struggled with his identity and his health were just some of the difficulties Tchaikovsky had to deal with. His sixth symphony was heavily influenced by it and shows the state of mind that he was in. The way the last movement ended, it represented Tchaikovsky’s life. With very little happiness in his life, he dragged on and grew weaker like the theme until it died out
Sergei Rachmaninoff is considered to be the final, magnificent composer of the Romantic era in Russian classical music, ushering forward its traditions into the twentieth century. His four concertos are a reflection of his development as a composer and pianist, with regard to maturity and compositional style. The evolution of music during the late nineteenth century to early twentieth century had no significant effect on Rachmaninoff; rather he continued to produce ingenious works reflective of his Russian upbringing and the Romantic era.
Dmitri Shostakovich was one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. He achieved fame, but with much hardship along the way. He was censored and threatened with not only his life but that of his wife and children by playing the role of a public figure in Soviet Russia. The question is was he a committed communist or a victim? The events in his life, good or bad, shaped the music that he created and led to one of the greatest symphonies of the 20th century, his Fifth Symphony.
Human mind is a double edge sword: it gives us wonderful and destructive ideas in the same time. In loneliness, the mind can create profound suffering. In 1886, Leo Tolstoy wrote the Death of Ivan Ilyich and shed a light on loneliness and suffering. Through narrating Ivan’s inner struggle with his illness, Tolstoy showed how social isolation can exacerbate mental suffering. The book started with Ivan’s funeral and moved rapidly through his early life. Ivan lives a life with comfort and social conformity. However, this seemingly ordinary and happy life ended when he fell putting up the curtains. As minor signs of illness show up, he starts to struggle with isolation and fear. His doctors’ irresponsiveness to his questions started his mental suffering and this suffering exacerbated as he is isolated from his friends and family. As Ivan is tortured by both physical and mental pain in loneliness, he finally listens to “the voice of his soul, to the course of thoughts arising in him” (45). In a series of reflection, he asks himself deep philosophical questions about the meaning of life and death. However, the loneliness created by the isolation from his doctors,
Besides composing, he also worked as a conductor in Düsseldorf (1833-35) and Leipzig (1835-40). And in 1843, he established a new conservatory in Leipzig. Up to this point, Mendelssohn was already a well-known pianist, composer and conductor.
"To me he seemed like a trapped man, whose only wish was to be left alone, to the peace of his own art and to the tragic destiny to which he, like most of his countrymen, has been forced to resign himself." Nicholas Nabokov on meeting Shostakovich in 1949 in New York
It is instructive to the reader to point out that Tolstoy's usage of the word “art” speaks of a wide sphere of artistic expressions. Among these expressions are literature, poetry, painting, sculptures and music. According to Tolstoy, it is art that brings mankind together and allows for the commonalities in humanity to be emphasized. Tolstoy describes these commonalities as man's need for union with God and with one another. Good art, for Tolstoy, is art that expresses itself through religious perception. This religious perception is how the culture of its current time views its most important values. This is similar to William Wordsworth’s ideas for literature. It is important to Wordsworth that the author of the work express emotions that the common man can relate to. It is fundamental to Tolstoy, as with Wordsworth, that the work be accessible and understandable to all people. This is why Tolstoy supposed that music is the...
Tchaikovsky is one of the most popular of all composers. The reasons are several and understandable. His music is extremely tuneful, opulently and colourfully scored, and filled with emotional passion. Undoubtedly the emotional temperature of the music reflected the composer's nature. He was afflicted by both repressed homosexuality and by the tendency to extreme fluctuations between ecstasy and depression. Tchaikovsky was neurotic and deeply sensitive, and his life was often painful, but through the agony shone a genius that created some of the most beautiful of all romantic melodies. With his rich gifts for melody and special flair for writing memorable dance tunes, with his ready response to the atmosphere of a theatrical situation and his masterly orchestration, Tchaikovsky was ideally equipped as a ballet composer. His delightful fairy-tale ballets, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker are performed more than any other ballets. Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky's first ballet, was commissioned by the Imperial Theatres in Moscow in 1875. He used some music from a little domestic ballet of the same title, composed for his sister Alexandra's children in 1871.
There is an anecdote of Tchaikovsky's earliest years that gives us a clue to the paradox of his personality. Passionately kissing the map of Russia and then, one regrets to state, spitting on the other countries, he was reminded by his nurse that she herself was French. "Yes," he said, accepting her criticism with perfect sweetness and affectionate docility, "I covered France with my hand." The child is father of the man; here we have already Tchaikovsky's strange two-sidedness: on one hand his intense emotionality in all personal matters, his headstrong impetuosity, leaping first and looking afterwards; on the other his candor and modesty, his intelligent acceptance of criticism, even his carefulness and good workmanship-he had covered France with his hand"! If he had only been able to reconcile that lifelong feud between his over-personal heart and his magnanimous mind, he would have been saved endless suffering. But he was not: in his music his self-criticism, as on of his best biographers, Edwin Evans, has remarked, "came after and not during composition"-he destroyed score after score. And in daily life he never learned to apply the advice of a wit tot he victim of a temperament like his: "less remorse and more reform."