Tchaikovsky welcomed precise instructions from choreographers, believing that the more his 'hands were tied,' the freer his inspiration became.
Sergey Rachmaninov, a famous composer and pianist, was engaged by Tchaikovsky to transcribe a suite for piano duet from 'The Sleeping Beauty'.
Tchaikovsky composed the music for 'Swan Lake' partly for financial reasons and partly because he had long desired to compose in the ballet genre.
Tchaikovsky himself suggested creating a concert suite from 'Swan Lake' to prevent the music from being forgotten.
The Aurora Duo, consisting of Julia Severus and Alina Luschtschizkaja, met while studying at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, the composer, initially studied law and worked in the Ministry of Justice before pursuing music.
For 'The Nutcracker', Tchaikovsky specifically requested children's instruments to be included in the orchestration.
