1. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
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2. The Tchaikovsky Family

3. The Tchaikovsky Family Tree

4. Tchaikovsky’s Life Born on May 7, 1840 in Votkinsk, Russia
He had four brothers and one sister
His father Ilya had three wives
He first studied law in his youth, and became a law clerk in St. Petersburg
In his twenties, he rebelled and began to study music at the conservatory in St. Petersburg

5. The marriage was a disaster - it lasted a month
He was a big fan of Mozart
He studied composition with Anton Rubinstein
In 1866 he moved to Moscow to begin teaching at the new conservatory there
He was horrible when he began composing
He married Antonina Ivanovana Milyukoff on July 6, 1877
The marriage was a disaster - it lasted a month
He had a benefactor named Nadezhda von Meck - she loved his music

6. He came to New York in 1891 and conducted his works at Carnegie Hall
He experienced a great deal of fame in the last 10 years of his life
On November 6, 1893, Tchaikovsky died from drinking a glass of unfiltered water from which he got cholera
He is buried in St. Petersburg

8. Famous Compositions Swan Lake Sleeping Beauty The Nutcracker
Romeo & Juliet
1812 Overture
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique”
Piano Concerto No. 1

9. His Musical Mark He was the master of the ballet
His melodies are very haunting
He used a great deal of folk music in his symphonic works
His music is known for being both too beautiful and too depressing
Tchaikovsky’s life was filled with turmoil and so was his music

10. Tchaikovsky’s Manuscripts

12. There are very few surviving manuscripts written by Tchaikovsky
There are very few surviving manuscripts written by Tchaikovsky. He was very critical of his own work, and very often burned his scores.

13. Describe how the music, ballet & story fit together
And now… Swan Lake
Describe how the music, ballet & story fit together