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Great Masters: Tchaikovsky - His Life and Music
The life of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) exhibits as close a link as you will find anywhere between an artist's inner world and the outward products of that artist's creative activity. As a man, Tchaikovsky was defined by and indivisible from his music, which became an outlet for all the shifting moods of his turbulent soul. As Professor Robert Greenberg says, "If Tchaikovsky felt it, it found a way into his music."
As an artist—and it is worth recalling that he was the first full-time, formally trained, professional composer in Russian history—Tchaikovsky walked a fine and difficult line between his Romantic penchant for expression and the demands of Classical structure.
This delicate balancing act—between heart and head, emotion and reason, release and control, Russian expressive content and German technique—is a key to his music that you find amply illustrated by Professor Greenberg's musical selections and commentary.
Course Lecture Titles
1. Introduction and Early Life
2. A Career in Music
3. The First Masterworks
4. Maturity
5. Three WomenTatyana, Antonina, and Nadezhda
6. My Great Friend
7. A Free Man
8. The Last Years, or Don't Drink the Water
As an artist—and it is worth recalling that he was the first full-time, formally trained, professional composer in Russian history—Tchaikovsky walked a fine and difficult line between his Romantic penchant for expression and the demands of Classical structure.
This delicate balancing act—between heart and head, emotion and reason, release and control, Russian expressive content and German technique—is a key to his music that you find amply illustrated by Professor Greenberg's musical selections and commentary.
Course Lecture Titles
1. Introduction and Early Life
2. A Career in Music
3. The First Masterworks
4. Maturity
5. Three WomenTatyana, Antonina, and Nadezhda
6. My Great Friend
7. A Free Man
8. The Last Years, or Don't Drink the Water
6 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2000
2 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Robert Greenberg
179 books215 followersRobert M. Greenberg is an American composer, pianist and musicologist. He has composed more than 50 works for a variety of instruments and voices, and has recorded a number of lecture series on music history and music appreciation for The Teaching Company.
Greenberg earned a B.A. in music, magna cum laude, from Princeton University and received a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of California, Berkeley. He has served on the faculties of UC Berkeley, Californiz State University, East Bay, and the San Franciso Conservatory of Music, where he was chairman of the Department of Music History and Literature as well as Director of the Adult Extension Division. Dr. Greenberg is currently Music Historian-in-residence with San Francisco Performances.
Greenberg earned a B.A. in music, magna cum laude, from Princeton University and received a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of California, Berkeley. He has served on the faculties of UC Berkeley, Californiz State University, East Bay, and the San Franciso Conservatory of Music, where he was chairman of the Department of Music History and Literature as well as Director of the Adult Extension Division. Dr. Greenberg is currently Music Historian-in-residence with San Francisco Performances.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 21, 2023
I have tickets to the performance of Eugene Onegin in the Israeli Opera today, so I decided to listen this course in preparation for the event.
Starting from my Soviet childhood, I had often heard the name of the greatest Russian composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, but not being musically cultured, I had known very little about him -- either the man or the artist. Many years later, already in post-Soviet times and out of the post-Soviet space, I remember hearing about him being a homosexual and having a troubled life, but I had no idea about any details. This course was an eye-opener. The story of Tchaikovsky's life is presented here in parallel with the discussion of his work illustrated by gorgeous musical samples.
It's a perfect case-study of the life and art of a troubled genius: Tchaikovsky's hyper-sensitivity, childhood traumas, constant conflict with his sexuality, frequent depressions which paradoxically fed his creativity, his disastrous marriage, his constant self-doubt, initial rejection of his greatest masterworks by his critics and sometimes his friends and teachers, his untimely death from a forced suicide committed as an alternative to public exposure and shameful scandal and covered up for a century under the guise of a death from cholera.
Robert Greenberg is a noisy politically-incorrect typhoon, bursting with passion for music and fueled with the deep knowledge of the subject. The only thing he can't do is to bore. He has a tendency to take on a somewhat familiar tone towards his audience and the hero of his discussion, which might occasionally seem a bit cringe-worthy or annoying, but I personally wasn't bothered by this -- I prefer to perceive it as him telling about Tchaikovsky to his friends in a less formal setting. What really annoys me is dumbing down the material for the sake of the audience, but that's not his style. I've already listened to his courses on Brahms and Schumann, and it was a treat. I've now started his course "How to Listen and Understand Opera". Each and every one of his courses is great entertainment, rich food for thought, and delightful musical fest.
Starting from my Soviet childhood, I had often heard the name of the greatest Russian composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, but not being musically cultured, I had known very little about him -- either the man or the artist. Many years later, already in post-Soviet times and out of the post-Soviet space, I remember hearing about him being a homosexual and having a troubled life, but I had no idea about any details. This course was an eye-opener. The story of Tchaikovsky's life is presented here in parallel with the discussion of his work illustrated by gorgeous musical samples.
It's a perfect case-study of the life and art of a troubled genius: Tchaikovsky's hyper-sensitivity, childhood traumas, constant conflict with his sexuality, frequent depressions which paradoxically fed his creativity, his disastrous marriage, his constant self-doubt, initial rejection of his greatest masterworks by his critics and sometimes his friends and teachers, his untimely death from a forced suicide committed as an alternative to public exposure and shameful scandal and covered up for a century under the guise of a death from cholera.
Robert Greenberg is a noisy politically-incorrect typhoon, bursting with passion for music and fueled with the deep knowledge of the subject. The only thing he can't do is to bore. He has a tendency to take on a somewhat familiar tone towards his audience and the hero of his discussion, which might occasionally seem a bit cringe-worthy or annoying, but I personally wasn't bothered by this -- I prefer to perceive it as him telling about Tchaikovsky to his friends in a less formal setting. What really annoys me is dumbing down the material for the sake of the audience, but that's not his style. I've already listened to his courses on Brahms and Schumann, and it was a treat. I've now started his course "How to Listen and Understand Opera". Each and every one of his courses is great entertainment, rich food for thought, and delightful musical fest.
October 11, 2023
3.5 ⭐
This particular offering from Greenberg presented a challenge to me. That challenge being, how willing is one to turn a blind eye to a composer’s distasteful conduct in order to continue enjoying their work; is one able to separate the man from his music? Well the answer, for me, in this case at least, is no. Tchaikovsky’s music is too reflective of his own life; too interwoven with the emotional events that took place at the time of their creation that to separate the two would compromise ones understanding of any given piece. What I am able to do (possibly because I am selfishly unwilling to give up the man’s heavenly melodies) is reconcile the idea that an individual with such despicable predilections is still capable of penning some of the most glorious, soul-shaking music known to man.
I have to apologise if you’re a lover of his music and were ignorant until now, as I was, of this particular vice but Tchaikovsky was in fact a paedophile who was most sexually attracted to 14-15 year old boys. His lust did not exclude his own nephew, Bob, who, though Greenberg notes it is unlikely anything ever occured between them, Tchaikovsky often “feasted [his] eyes on”. The reason I rated this particular lecture ever-so-slightly lower than the rest of the series so far is that Greenberg briskly addresses this without consequence several times and moves on without flinching, often going on to lament the pain and suffering Tchaikovsky endured due to being a homosexual in his time and place. Personally, I think I’ll give the pity party a miss on this occasion.
Putting this aside, there are still worthwhile benefits to reading this entry in the ‘Great Masters’ series. Not least of all the list of much appreciated gleaned jewels in the form of lesser-known chamber works and “songs” which are pretty standard fare amongst Greenberg’s lectures. One of my favourite topics was the idea that Tchaikovsky, much like Brahms and very much not like the majority of romantic composers, still stayed “mostly” true to classical form whilst simultaneously producing music with rich romantic expression (Brahms absolutely hated Tchaikovsky’s music for the record). For what it’s worth, I think Brahms is much more faithful to Classical tradition than Tchaikovsky; my only justification for such an opinion being that I am more capable of following a piece by Brahms from beginning to end and making some long and short term thematical connections. Tchaikovsky wrote a seemingly endless string of beautiful melodies but their connection throughout a piece doesn’t always seem obvious. Greenberg actually does suggest at one stage that Tchaikovsky was an extraordinarily beautiful melodist “to a fault”. Reason being, his melodies were so lovely and complete in their own right that they didn’t lend themselves well to long-form composition where development requires that they be fragmented, turned inside-out and upside down and all manner of other crafty manipulations. The example he uses, and it confirmed what I always felt about the piece, is the piano concerto no.1 in Bb minor. The introduction is one of my favourite openings to any classical piece but once it’s gone, it never returns! It’s not developed and it doesn’t even return in any kind of recapitulation! Every time I listen to that concerto the intro loiters in my head rent-free the whole time as though it absolutely must return. It’s as though it remains unresolved and the dissonance it creates for me tends to hurt my enjoyment of the work as a whole just a teensy bit. It was pleasing to have this confirmed as a legitimate structural issue though and not just a personal issue.
I’ll play the broken record I suppose! Excellent series and about half of them are free as part of an audible membership. Sadly, I think I only have 2 left and there’s no sign of a Bach, Chopin or Debussy lecture! Outrageous! Bye for now.
This particular offering from Greenberg presented a challenge to me. That challenge being, how willing is one to turn a blind eye to a composer’s distasteful conduct in order to continue enjoying their work; is one able to separate the man from his music? Well the answer, for me, in this case at least, is no. Tchaikovsky’s music is too reflective of his own life; too interwoven with the emotional events that took place at the time of their creation that to separate the two would compromise ones understanding of any given piece. What I am able to do (possibly because I am selfishly unwilling to give up the man’s heavenly melodies) is reconcile the idea that an individual with such despicable predilections is still capable of penning some of the most glorious, soul-shaking music known to man.
I have to apologise if you’re a lover of his music and were ignorant until now, as I was, of this particular vice but Tchaikovsky was in fact a paedophile who was most sexually attracted to 14-15 year old boys. His lust did not exclude his own nephew, Bob, who, though Greenberg notes it is unlikely anything ever occured between them, Tchaikovsky often “feasted [his] eyes on”. The reason I rated this particular lecture ever-so-slightly lower than the rest of the series so far is that Greenberg briskly addresses this without consequence several times and moves on without flinching, often going on to lament the pain and suffering Tchaikovsky endured due to being a homosexual in his time and place. Personally, I think I’ll give the pity party a miss on this occasion.
Putting this aside, there are still worthwhile benefits to reading this entry in the ‘Great Masters’ series. Not least of all the list of much appreciated gleaned jewels in the form of lesser-known chamber works and “songs” which are pretty standard fare amongst Greenberg’s lectures. One of my favourite topics was the idea that Tchaikovsky, much like Brahms and very much not like the majority of romantic composers, still stayed “mostly” true to classical form whilst simultaneously producing music with rich romantic expression (Brahms absolutely hated Tchaikovsky’s music for the record). For what it’s worth, I think Brahms is much more faithful to Classical tradition than Tchaikovsky; my only justification for such an opinion being that I am more capable of following a piece by Brahms from beginning to end and making some long and short term thematical connections. Tchaikovsky wrote a seemingly endless string of beautiful melodies but their connection throughout a piece doesn’t always seem obvious. Greenberg actually does suggest at one stage that Tchaikovsky was an extraordinarily beautiful melodist “to a fault”. Reason being, his melodies were so lovely and complete in their own right that they didn’t lend themselves well to long-form composition where development requires that they be fragmented, turned inside-out and upside down and all manner of other crafty manipulations. The example he uses, and it confirmed what I always felt about the piece, is the piano concerto no.1 in Bb minor. The introduction is one of my favourite openings to any classical piece but once it’s gone, it never returns! It’s not developed and it doesn’t even return in any kind of recapitulation! Every time I listen to that concerto the intro loiters in my head rent-free the whole time as though it absolutely must return. It’s as though it remains unresolved and the dissonance it creates for me tends to hurt my enjoyment of the work as a whole just a teensy bit. It was pleasing to have this confirmed as a legitimate structural issue though and not just a personal issue.
I’ll play the broken record I suppose! Excellent series and about half of them are free as part of an audible membership. Sadly, I think I only have 2 left and there’s no sign of a Bach, Chopin or Debussy lecture! Outrageous! Bye for now.
April 23, 2024
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is one of THE most well-known composers of the world and my personal favorite. If you don't believe it (the former), he wrote the music for
Swan Lake
,
The Nutcracker
, the
1812 Overture
(about Russia repelling Napoléon's forces), the
Romeo and Juliet
overture,
Piano Concerto No.1
and so much more. People might not know them by name, but everyone has HEARD them at one point or another (hence why I went to the trouble of linking to excerpts of all of them).
Tchaikovsky was born on May 7 of 1840, and died on November 6 of 1893.
His family had a long history of service to Russia. His father was considered lower nobility and worked as an administrator after his military service.
His mother (the second of three wives) came from a slightly wealthier background and was 18 years younger than his father. She was also of French and German descend.
Tchaikovsky had 6 siblings, but was close with only three of them, two brothers and one sister. His sister's later family would provide the only family life the composer knew, while his two brothers (especially Modest) were kind of caretakers (emotionally as well as physically).
Another significant relationship of Tchaikovsky's was that to his governess, called Fanny Dürbach (French). The family dismissed her after only a few years but it's thanks to this woman that we have his earliest compositions (she saved them).
As a boy, Tchaikovsky was very ... attached. Both to his mother and governess, and also very sensitive. The latter doesn't seem to ever have changed. On the contrary, numerous other neuroses were added to the mix.
Eventually, after being home-schooled for some years during which he learned to be fluent in French and German and learned to play the piano, he was sent to a school for boys. There, during his teenage years, he discovered that he was gay. Supposedly, he met his one true love there, too, though that ended tragically.
But there was more to his sexuality. You see, he liked to dress in drag and might even have had a sexual relationship with his nephew (who later killed himself, though after Tchaikovsky's own death). Interestingly, he fell in love with a Belgian singer (a woman) at one point, and loved her so much that he wanted to marry her. Circumstances prevented the marriage but Tchaikovsky himself wrote in a letter that he had actually loved her. He DID get married to a woman much later, a former student and quite the nutjob, but that marriage was a total shitshow. Unsurprisingly, since she was literally out of her mind and he said he would take anyone willing to have him (some say he wanted to get married to "cure" himself of his homosexuality and his depression, which he claimed resulted from his negative feelings due to his homosexuality). Tchaikovsky moved out after only two and a half months. There was some drama and definitely plenty of fear from Tchaikovsky that his wife would expose his secret.
After his marriage had failed so spectacularly he tried to overcome a sort of writer's block by traveling the world (or at least Europe) for 5 years with the financial aid of his prominent and rich patron. Now, this woman also loved Tchaikovsky, but for his creative genius and artistry. She wanted his intimate friendship but only platonically and she never wanted to meet him in person (instead preferring the art and leave the rest to fantasy) - which suited the composer just fine.
Tchaikovsky, unlike so many other classic composers, was never heralded as a Wunderkind of some sort. In fact, his music (except for some few pieces) was often highly criticized in Russia (some critics thought he was too Western in his compositions and saw proof in how much Western countries liked his work, others said he wasn't Western enough). Interestingly, one thing hellping in changing this outlook was novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky's call for "universal unity" with the West at the unveiling of the Pushkin Monument in Moscow in 1880.
It was only in 1884 that Tchaikovsky became less of a recluse and less restless (he bought a house to settle down in). When he lived "away from the temptations", he also learned English - which he wanted in order to be able to read Dickens, amongst others, in the original. It was also in this house that he created The Nutcracker and most of his other best known work.
A year later, in 1885, the Tsar afforded Tchaikovsky the Order of Saint Vladimir, which included a title of hereditary nobility as well as a personal audience. After that, his operas were declared the official imperial art, thereby replacing/surpassing Italian Opera, and he became THE Russian state composer making him somewhat of a celebrity (resulting in people like Anton Chekhov writing raving reviews of his character), which also resulted in him being granted an honorary doctorate from Cambridge and Tchaikovsky even traveling as far as the US after he had turned 50 (he was considered a god by the Americans).
This, however, had its downsides, namely the discovery of his homosexuality. And Mother Russia is NOT forgiving when it comes to not conforming to state rules!
Only nine days after having conducted the premiere of his Sixth Symphony in October 1893, he "fell ill" and eventually died in early November.
The official party line was and is that he contracted cholera after drinking water at a local restaurant. The problem? He never drank unbottled water and if it had been cholera, the time between him drinking the water that supposedly made him sick and the outbreak of the illness was too short. Not to mention that he would have been receiving a completely wrong medical care.
It didn't take long for the public to ask uncomfortable questions. So some time later, this version was changed to him probably having committed suicide (he had tried killing himself before).
However, there are documents that have come to light after the fall of the Soviet Union which confirm that Tchaikovsky's relationship with a young nobleman was found out by the boy's father, a count, who then wrote to the Tsar to make the whole affair public in a fit of rage. The guy delivering the letter coincidentally was a former school mate of Tchaikovsky's who didn't want this kind of public shame brought to his Alma Mater. Thus, he called six other former school friends - all senior lawyers and politicans - forming a "court of honor". It is documented that they threatened Tchaikovsky with delivering the letter to the Tsar, thereby destroying the composer if he didn't kill himself. Tchaikovsky agreed and started taking arsenic in small doses over the course of four days (because the symptoms are so similar to cholera before leading to kidney failure).
To this day, Russian officials flat-out refuse to allow the possibility of Tchaikovsky having been gay. The irony is that Tchaikovsky would NOT have been shipped off to a gulag or set on fire as it happens so often nowadays. Russia, back then, tolerated homosexuality - what it didn't tolerate was making it public! So the composer chose death before exposure.
It has to be said that while I feel for Tchaikovsky and what he had to go through, career-wise and in his personal life, it also has to be said that the serious personal and psychological problems that plagued Tchaikovsky also profoundly enriched his music. There is an argument to be made that this is what sets truly great artists apart from equally talented ones that end up less successful.
In any case, it was wonderful to re-visit so many great examples of Tchaikovsky's superb music and I learned a great deal about the person behind the notes. Most surprisingly was that Swan Lake was performed only once during Tchaikovsky's lifetime and the performance was terrible. To think that it is now one of THE pieces he is known for as well as one of THE ballets people see over and over again ...
As with the previous lectures I've listened to / read, this was once again fantastically researched and even more fantastically recited/performed (yes, every lecture seems to be a performance for Robert Greenberg). The perfect combination between a wealth of knowledge passed on and an amicable/approachable way of conveying all the facts. To say nothing of the perfect selection of musical samples that accompany the various chapters.
Absolute recommendation!
Tchaikovsky was born on May 7 of 1840, and died on November 6 of 1893.
His family had a long history of service to Russia. His father was considered lower nobility and worked as an administrator after his military service.
His mother (the second of three wives) came from a slightly wealthier background and was 18 years younger than his father. She was also of French and German descend.
Tchaikovsky had 6 siblings, but was close with only three of them, two brothers and one sister. His sister's later family would provide the only family life the composer knew, while his two brothers (especially Modest) were kind of caretakers (emotionally as well as physically).
Another significant relationship of Tchaikovsky's was that to his governess, called Fanny Dürbach (French). The family dismissed her after only a few years but it's thanks to this woman that we have his earliest compositions (she saved them).
As a boy, Tchaikovsky was very ... attached. Both to his mother and governess, and also very sensitive. The latter doesn't seem to ever have changed. On the contrary, numerous other neuroses were added to the mix.
Eventually, after being home-schooled for some years during which he learned to be fluent in French and German and learned to play the piano, he was sent to a school for boys. There, during his teenage years, he discovered that he was gay. Supposedly, he met his one true love there, too, though that ended tragically.
But there was more to his sexuality. You see, he liked to dress in drag and might even have had a sexual relationship with his nephew (who later killed himself, though after Tchaikovsky's own death). Interestingly, he fell in love with a Belgian singer (a woman) at one point, and loved her so much that he wanted to marry her. Circumstances prevented the marriage but Tchaikovsky himself wrote in a letter that he had actually loved her. He DID get married to a woman much later, a former student and quite the nutjob, but that marriage was a total shitshow. Unsurprisingly, since she was literally out of her mind and he said he would take anyone willing to have him (some say he wanted to get married to "cure" himself of his homosexuality and his depression, which he claimed resulted from his negative feelings due to his homosexuality). Tchaikovsky moved out after only two and a half months. There was some drama and definitely plenty of fear from Tchaikovsky that his wife would expose his secret.
After his marriage had failed so spectacularly he tried to overcome a sort of writer's block by traveling the world (or at least Europe) for 5 years with the financial aid of his prominent and rich patron. Now, this woman also loved Tchaikovsky, but for his creative genius and artistry. She wanted his intimate friendship but only platonically and she never wanted to meet him in person (instead preferring the art and leave the rest to fantasy) - which suited the composer just fine.
Tchaikovsky, unlike so many other classic composers, was never heralded as a Wunderkind of some sort. In fact, his music (except for some few pieces) was often highly criticized in Russia (some critics thought he was too Western in his compositions and saw proof in how much Western countries liked his work, others said he wasn't Western enough). Interestingly, one thing hellping in changing this outlook was novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky's call for "universal unity" with the West at the unveiling of the Pushkin Monument in Moscow in 1880.
It was only in 1884 that Tchaikovsky became less of a recluse and less restless (he bought a house to settle down in). When he lived "away from the temptations", he also learned English - which he wanted in order to be able to read Dickens, amongst others, in the original. It was also in this house that he created The Nutcracker and most of his other best known work.
A year later, in 1885, the Tsar afforded Tchaikovsky the Order of Saint Vladimir, which included a title of hereditary nobility as well as a personal audience. After that, his operas were declared the official imperial art, thereby replacing/surpassing Italian Opera, and he became THE Russian state composer making him somewhat of a celebrity (resulting in people like Anton Chekhov writing raving reviews of his character), which also resulted in him being granted an honorary doctorate from Cambridge and Tchaikovsky even traveling as far as the US after he had turned 50 (he was considered a god by the Americans).
This, however, had its downsides, namely the discovery of his homosexuality. And Mother Russia is NOT forgiving when it comes to not conforming to state rules!
Only nine days after having conducted the premiere of his Sixth Symphony in October 1893, he "fell ill" and eventually died in early November.
The official party line was and is that he contracted cholera after drinking water at a local restaurant. The problem? He never drank unbottled water and if it had been cholera, the time between him drinking the water that supposedly made him sick and the outbreak of the illness was too short. Not to mention that he would have been receiving a completely wrong medical care.
It didn't take long for the public to ask uncomfortable questions. So some time later, this version was changed to him probably having committed suicide (he had tried killing himself before).
However, there are documents that have come to light after the fall of the Soviet Union which confirm that Tchaikovsky's relationship with a young nobleman was found out by the boy's father, a count, who then wrote to the Tsar to make the whole affair public in a fit of rage. The guy delivering the letter coincidentally was a former school mate of Tchaikovsky's who didn't want this kind of public shame brought to his Alma Mater. Thus, he called six other former school friends - all senior lawyers and politicans - forming a "court of honor". It is documented that they threatened Tchaikovsky with delivering the letter to the Tsar, thereby destroying the composer if he didn't kill himself. Tchaikovsky agreed and started taking arsenic in small doses over the course of four days (because the symptoms are so similar to cholera before leading to kidney failure).
To this day, Russian officials flat-out refuse to allow the possibility of Tchaikovsky having been gay. The irony is that Tchaikovsky would NOT have been shipped off to a gulag or set on fire as it happens so often nowadays. Russia, back then, tolerated homosexuality - what it didn't tolerate was making it public! So the composer chose death before exposure.
It has to be said that while I feel for Tchaikovsky and what he had to go through, career-wise and in his personal life, it also has to be said that the serious personal and psychological problems that plagued Tchaikovsky also profoundly enriched his music. There is an argument to be made that this is what sets truly great artists apart from equally talented ones that end up less successful.
In any case, it was wonderful to re-visit so many great examples of Tchaikovsky's superb music and I learned a great deal about the person behind the notes. Most surprisingly was that Swan Lake was performed only once during Tchaikovsky's lifetime and the performance was terrible. To think that it is now one of THE pieces he is known for as well as one of THE ballets people see over and over again ...
As with the previous lectures I've listened to / read, this was once again fantastically researched and even more fantastically recited/performed (yes, every lecture seems to be a performance for Robert Greenberg). The perfect combination between a wealth of knowledge passed on and an amicable/approachable way of conveying all the facts. To say nothing of the perfect selection of musical samples that accompany the various chapters.
Absolute recommendation!
November 8, 2022
These composer biographies are so amazing: interesting content and brilliant performance.
June 25, 2020
This was one of the shorter GC's at eight lectures. I think that was about the right amount for this one. Anything less would have skimped on the impact of Tchaikovsky's life on his music, but much more would have started to feel too much like a gossipy tell-all.
Tchaikovsky is one of those people that, once you know the sordid details of his life, there's always that "yes, but" reaction to his work. It's the conflict between those (we'd like to think) evolved 21st century sensibilities and those of the past layered on top of the debate about whether the art can be appreciated without accepting the flaws of the artist. Yes, he was a brilliant composer...sometimes. Yes, he was a certainly a neurotic mess, probably a drunk, and definitely a pedophile. One doesn't cause or cancel out the other, but it does complicate appreciating the music. The whole debate is one I have no intention of getting into on social media. I'm merely pointing it out because the premise of the lectures is that the composer's life definitely informed his work.
A less salient aspect of Tchaikovsky's work I had not know about was the conflict between his German musical education and his Russian identity/nationalism. As Greenberg said, his early music was often considered too Russian for the Germans and too German for the Russians. I also had not been aware that the dubious claims of his dying of cholera have mostly been debunked given the trove of documentation that's been released this century.
Professor Greenberg, as usual, is hugely entertaining and informative. I wish I had access to more of this Great Composer series.
Tchaikovsky is one of those people that, once you know the sordid details of his life, there's always that "yes, but" reaction to his work. It's the conflict between those (we'd like to think) evolved 21st century sensibilities and those of the past layered on top of the debate about whether the art can be appreciated without accepting the flaws of the artist. Yes, he was a brilliant composer...sometimes. Yes, he was a certainly a neurotic mess, probably a drunk, and definitely a pedophile. One doesn't cause or cancel out the other, but it does complicate appreciating the music. The whole debate is one I have no intention of getting into on social media. I'm merely pointing it out because the premise of the lectures is that the composer's life definitely informed his work.
A less salient aspect of Tchaikovsky's work I had not know about was the conflict between his German musical education and his Russian identity/nationalism. As Greenberg said, his early music was often considered too Russian for the Germans and too German for the Russians. I also had not been aware that the dubious claims of his dying of cholera have mostly been debunked given the trove of documentation that's been released this century.
Professor Greenberg, as usual, is hugely entertaining and informative. I wish I had access to more of this Great Composer series.
October 25, 2014
Completed listening to the Great Courses musical biography course _Tchaikovsky: His Life and Music_, taught by Robert Greenberg. Its eight lectures convey the life, loves, and neuroses of Peter Ilyich clearly and engagingly. Tchaikovsky's life and mine are very different, yet plenty resonates. His Piano Concerto No. 1 is the only piece of music that has ever, when I _really_ heard it for the first time, caused me to sob so uncontrollably I had to pull off the busy road I was driving on to let the experience wash over me. Knowing more about the life and death of this passionate man helps inform that unforgettable experience. As Prof. Greenberg says, "If Tchaikovsky felt it, it found a way into his music."
November 5, 2013
If I could give it 3.5 stars I would. Interesting and informative but not quite good enough for 4 stars.
April 12, 2019
Tragic, fascinating man. Beautiful music.
May 21, 2024
Greenberg presents Tchaikovsky as straddling Russia and West Europe. He emphasizes the biographical contexts of particular compositions.
September 7, 2024
Great Masters: Tchaikovsky - His Life and Music Robert Greenberg (Lecturer)
9/7/2024
The “Great Masters” series, presented by Prof. Robert Greenberg, offers an insightful look into prominent musicians. In this 6-hour course, Prof. Greenberg narrates the life and work of the renowned Russian composer Tchaikovsky.
Tchaikovsky's passion for music was evident from a young age. Despite early family separations and being forced to attend a professional school for administrators, he eventually gained his parents' permission to pursue a musical career. His compositions quickly earned acclaim and recognition, but his life was overshadowed by struggles with his homosexuality and deep self-doubt. Tragically, his life ended prematurely, with his death suspected to be a suicide.
Tchaikovsky is celebrated as the foremost Russian composer of his era. While drawing on Russian musical elements such as folk songs and traditional dances, he sought to align his work with the German classical form tradition, although he lived in the Romantic period. The musical selections featured in the course highlight his distinctive melodies and inventive ways of developing them.
The lectures on Tchaikovsky's personal life are both engaging and captivating. However, while the course provides some musical excerpts, it doesn't offer an in-depth analysis of his compositional style. Those interested in a deeper exploration of his musical achievements and innovations may want to explore other courses by Prof. Greenberg.
9/7/2024
The “Great Masters” series, presented by Prof. Robert Greenberg, offers an insightful look into prominent musicians. In this 6-hour course, Prof. Greenberg narrates the life and work of the renowned Russian composer Tchaikovsky.
Tchaikovsky's passion for music was evident from a young age. Despite early family separations and being forced to attend a professional school for administrators, he eventually gained his parents' permission to pursue a musical career. His compositions quickly earned acclaim and recognition, but his life was overshadowed by struggles with his homosexuality and deep self-doubt. Tragically, his life ended prematurely, with his death suspected to be a suicide.
Tchaikovsky is celebrated as the foremost Russian composer of his era. While drawing on Russian musical elements such as folk songs and traditional dances, he sought to align his work with the German classical form tradition, although he lived in the Romantic period. The musical selections featured in the course highlight his distinctive melodies and inventive ways of developing them.
The lectures on Tchaikovsky's personal life are both engaging and captivating. However, while the course provides some musical excerpts, it doesn't offer an in-depth analysis of his compositional style. Those interested in a deeper exploration of his musical achievements and innovations may want to explore other courses by Prof. Greenberg.
October 8, 2022
"Do I need a course on the guy who wrote the 1812 overture?"
"Do I want to listen to another course by Maestro Greenberg?"
Luckily, the second question and its inevitable answer ("hell yeah") always win out, because it's the courses with low or even negative expectations that have consistently delivered the biggest wins.
In this course, Maestro Greenberg asserts that some of Tchaikovsky's great works are lesser known. I haven't had time to explore this claim in great depth, but the string quartets have been a revelation.
Brief backstory... I have never been into string quartets, or chamber music in general. How could those meager arrangement measure up to a full orchestra playing Beethoven, or Prokofiev's piano when interpreted by Horowitz or Richter? But after investing 6 hours into this course, I was determined not to come away empty-handed. So after drawing inspiration from Thich Nhat Hanh ("When you are washing the dishes, washing the dishes must be the most important thing in your life. Just as when you are drinking tea, drinking tea must be the most important thing in your life."), I committed completely to the 3 string quartets. In the ensuing stillness, there was music of incredible beauty. Was the experience embellished by perfect Fall weather and a Friday sunset? Perhaps. In any event, this set a high-water mark for chamber music, and a sparked a desire to whole-heartedly explore the genre, along with the lesser-known works of Tchaikovsky.
"Do I want to listen to another course by Maestro Greenberg?"
Luckily, the second question and its inevitable answer ("hell yeah") always win out, because it's the courses with low or even negative expectations that have consistently delivered the biggest wins.
In this course, Maestro Greenberg asserts that some of Tchaikovsky's great works are lesser known. I haven't had time to explore this claim in great depth, but the string quartets have been a revelation.
Brief backstory... I have never been into string quartets, or chamber music in general. How could those meager arrangement measure up to a full orchestra playing Beethoven, or Prokofiev's piano when interpreted by Horowitz or Richter? But after investing 6 hours into this course, I was determined not to come away empty-handed. So after drawing inspiration from Thich Nhat Hanh ("When you are washing the dishes, washing the dishes must be the most important thing in your life. Just as when you are drinking tea, drinking tea must be the most important thing in your life."), I committed completely to the 3 string quartets. In the ensuing stillness, there was music of incredible beauty. Was the experience embellished by perfect Fall weather and a Friday sunset? Perhaps. In any event, this set a high-water mark for chamber music, and a sparked a desire to whole-heartedly explore the genre, along with the lesser-known works of Tchaikovsky.
April 19, 2023
brb need to rewatch The Music Lovers ASAP
no, but seriously, having been somewhat familiar with Tchaikovsky's life- mainly his marriage to Antonina, his self-loathing and shame of his homosexuality, and Nadezhda's patronage to him- this was quite enlightening and added context and character to what I could remember from reading online about him and significant people in his life and, yes, seeing The Music Lovers (1971). If only that movie had been made AFTER the truth about his death was revealed.
I'd say the only major downfall to this is it's short length. I wish it was longer and was able to dive deeper into his life and music. It's very much a summarized overview of his life. Still has a good amount of detail on things that it focuses on, but skips and skims over a lot, too. The Nutcracker is particularly important to me and, as I don't already know, learning about how that production came to be would have been interesting; though, maybe that is discussed in another audio from The Great Courses, something delving into the making of specific operas, ballets, concertos, symphonies, etc.
Robert Greenberg had a lot of enthusiasm telling of Tchaikovsky's life and in sharing his music. And thankfully these courses come with a PDF file to look back at information and include a bibliography, of which I will be checking out at least a couple books listed.
no, but seriously, having been somewhat familiar with Tchaikovsky's life- mainly his marriage to Antonina, his self-loathing and shame of his homosexuality, and Nadezhda's patronage to him- this was quite enlightening and added context and character to what I could remember from reading online about him and significant people in his life and, yes, seeing The Music Lovers (1971). If only that movie had been made AFTER the truth about his death was revealed.
I'd say the only major downfall to this is it's short length. I wish it was longer and was able to dive deeper into his life and music. It's very much a summarized overview of his life. Still has a good amount of detail on things that it focuses on, but skips and skims over a lot, too. The Nutcracker is particularly important to me and, as I don't already know, learning about how that production came to be would have been interesting; though, maybe that is discussed in another audio from The Great Courses, something delving into the making of specific operas, ballets, concertos, symphonies, etc.
Robert Greenberg had a lot of enthusiasm telling of Tchaikovsky's life and in sharing his music. And thankfully these courses come with a PDF file to look back at information and include a bibliography, of which I will be checking out at least a couple books listed.
April 23, 2024
Tchaikovsky!
Easily one of my most favorite musicians. More than practically any other classical musician, he by far had the most, best, most absolutely memorable works.
I just LIKED them all so much more than the rest, on the whole.
Sure, I liked some other musician's works better, but I liked no other musician's total body of works more than Tchaikovsky.
This lecture gives us all a pretty awesome overlook on WHY that might be the case. I mean, sure, Tchaikovsky's EQ just poured into his music, making it so lyrical and memorable -- not just Nutcracker Suite, but 1812, Swan Lake, all the Dances, the String, the Symphonies -- instantly recognizable and celebrated -- it is utterly amazing.
Those old Russians knew their shit.
But specifically, Tchaikovsky was a special case. Gay, and more afraid of being outed than anything else, drove himself to that peculiar bout of societal madness. And for all of his depression and wild fantasies, he poured it all into his music, into his art. And in this way, it's also SO very Russian.
Suffice to say, I am and will always remain a total fanboy of this guy's work. So expressive, melodic, speaking directly to the EQ of me, there are hardly any other artists who are able to plumb my emotional depths so consistently.
This is also a great lecture, too. :)
Easily one of my most favorite musicians. More than practically any other classical musician, he by far had the most, best, most absolutely memorable works.
I just LIKED them all so much more than the rest, on the whole.
Sure, I liked some other musician's works better, but I liked no other musician's total body of works more than Tchaikovsky.
This lecture gives us all a pretty awesome overlook on WHY that might be the case. I mean, sure, Tchaikovsky's EQ just poured into his music, making it so lyrical and memorable -- not just Nutcracker Suite, but 1812, Swan Lake, all the Dances, the String, the Symphonies -- instantly recognizable and celebrated -- it is utterly amazing.
Those old Russians knew their shit.
But specifically, Tchaikovsky was a special case. Gay, and more afraid of being outed than anything else, drove himself to that peculiar bout of societal madness. And for all of his depression and wild fantasies, he poured it all into his music, into his art. And in this way, it's also SO very Russian.
Suffice to say, I am and will always remain a total fanboy of this guy's work. So expressive, melodic, speaking directly to the EQ of me, there are hardly any other artists who are able to plumb my emotional depths so consistently.
This is also a great lecture, too. :)
December 2, 2024
One of the reasons I appreciate Robert Greenberg's teaching so much is his compassion, his perceptiveness. In this course on Tchaikovsky, Robert really outdoes himself.
Was there ever a composer of lovelier melodies, romantic and soul-stirring melodies? To me, Tchaikovsky wins the prize.
Yet, before I studied with Robert via this course, I had no idea how exhorbitant the price was that the great composer paid in order to bring his music into the world. Between the stirrings of his creativity and being a homosexual at a time when such cruelty and shame were attached to that way of being wired sexually -- well, I had no absolutely no idea.
Add the zany people he met, especially his benefactress, and this course delivered much truth that was stranger than fiction.
Thank you once again, FIVE STAR professor, Robert Greenberg.
Was there ever a composer of lovelier melodies, romantic and soul-stirring melodies? To me, Tchaikovsky wins the prize.
Yet, before I studied with Robert via this course, I had no idea how exhorbitant the price was that the great composer paid in order to bring his music into the world. Between the stirrings of his creativity and being a homosexual at a time when such cruelty and shame were attached to that way of being wired sexually -- well, I had no absolutely no idea.
Add the zany people he met, especially his benefactress, and this course delivered much truth that was stranger than fiction.
Thank you once again, FIVE STAR professor, Robert Greenberg.
September 11, 2019
I liked the lectures. I didn't love them mostly because they focused too much on Tchaikovsky's sexual deviancy, his mommy issues, his marital issues, and homosexuality. Also, the lecturer, Robert Greenberg, was such a fanboy that I couldn't trust the information I was given. The presentation was too biased and excusing of Tchaikovsky especially when it was shown he molested little boys (14 years old or so) and never really stopped.
The music I adored.
I will not be listening to these lectures again.
The music I adored.
I will not be listening to these lectures again.
April 6, 2020
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
July 28, 2020
Tchai has always brought the emotional bangers.
The Romeo and Juliet Overture is a classic and reached its full potential as the soundtrack to when Sims kiss in the game.
Discovering one of my favourite melody medicine men was a paedophile shook me. The art vs artist debate is alive and well here.
Sad that he had to hide his sexuality and so did Russia, and yet sadder still things remain much the same.
The Romeo and Juliet Overture is a classic and reached its full potential as the soundtrack to when Sims kiss in the game.
Discovering one of my favourite melody medicine men was a paedophile shook me. The art vs artist debate is alive and well here.
Sad that he had to hide his sexuality and so did Russia, and yet sadder still things remain much the same.
August 22, 2022
This a course on the life, loves, downfalls of one of the greatest composers of all times. I sat through numerous lectures of Musical Literature and composition in my music school in the past, but none so honest, insightful, engaging and educational.
As a lecturer put it
“ If Tchaikovsky felt it, it found it sway into his music”.
It certainly made me listen to opening movement of piano Concero #1 over, and over again and understand his music in a completely new light.
As a lecturer put it
“ If Tchaikovsky felt it, it found it sway into his music”.
It certainly made me listen to opening movement of piano Concero #1 over, and over again and understand his music in a completely new light.
January 30, 2023
I knew a little bit about Tchaikovsky's life. A few years ago I built some of the costumes for a tiny stage production about the end of his life. So I was familiar with his wife, and Von Meck, and the cover up with his death.
While I knew he was gay, I did not know he went for young teenage boys. And I did not know that there was some ickiness between him and his nephew. I was just like, "Not you too!" It was like the Michael Jackson effect. Great at making music, but icky and inappropriate lifestyle choices.
I did like learning about the history and stories behind the music he composed. Greenberg did not go into the Nutcracker Suite or the Sleeping Beauty Ballet. Which, ok you're avoiding the well known works, but I want to hear about those as well as the lesser known works. So this lecture loses a point for robbing me of that.
Other than that, great in-depth lessons about Tchaikovsky's life and music.
4 out of 5 Sugar Plum Fairies.
While I knew he was gay, I did not know he went for young teenage boys. And I did not know that there was some ickiness between him and his nephew. I was just like, "Not you too!" It was like the Michael Jackson effect. Great at making music, but icky and inappropriate lifestyle choices.
I did like learning about the history and stories behind the music he composed. Greenberg did not go into the Nutcracker Suite or the Sleeping Beauty Ballet. Which, ok you're avoiding the well known works, but I want to hear about those as well as the lesser known works. So this lecture loses a point for robbing me of that.
Other than that, great in-depth lessons about Tchaikovsky's life and music.
4 out of 5 Sugar Plum Fairies.
January 18, 2022
I’ve listened to a couple of these lectures. Dr. Greenberg is always entertaining and has great insights to the music of whichever composer he is lecturning about. Tchaikovsky’s life as related here, seems very depressing. It seems clear now that his music reflected much of his emotional baggage. As proof, there are numerous pieces of music that are played as part of the lecture.
October 6, 2023
A good audio course from Prof. Greenberg, but I somehow couldn't get into it as much as I did into the others. Maybe I should give myself a break, maybe it isn't flowing as well as the rest of the courses – can't say. The story of Tchaikovsky's life, work and his untimely death is absolutely fascinating though.
May 23, 2022
Very interesting and educational, good overview of Tchaikovsky’s complicated and challenging personality and life. Very sad ending. I kept looking up and listening to the works that the Professor played clips of, and they would get stuck in my head. Made me want to go the symphony!
September 13, 2024
Like everything I’ve read from Greenberg, this was an insightful, entertaining, and informative look at my favorite composer. I was a little disappointed so many of my favorites were glossed over for time, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this introductory biography.
March 28, 2018
Wonderful. Witty and tragic at the same time.
October 15, 2018
Fascinating story wonderfully told by Greenberg. He's the man when it comes to musical biographies! Funny, thorough and always interesting.
August 16, 2019
Titizlikle hazırlanmış bir biyografi. Robert Greenberg de olmasa cahil kalacağız.
June 2, 2020
The biographer did brilliantly, but the material and life cannot be recommended for any but those wishing to know the context of his pieces. Disturbing.
May 20, 2021
A good biography. A sad life.
July 6, 2021
You would never believe the tragedy of Tchaikovsky’s death. His music, including “The Nutcracker” is popular to this day.
July 12, 2021
As usual--this is a brilliant set of lectures on a composer I knew little about. I loved every minute of it, and I plan to listen to a great deal of Tchaikovsky--especially the Serenade for Strings.
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