IDAGIO | Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1, "Winter Daydreams"

Featuring

Dmitri Kitajenko
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

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Performer Biography

Dmitrij Kitajenko, the conductor on this album, was appointed principal conductor of the influential Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow at the young age of twenty-nine.

Recording & Production

This album is part of a complete recording of all Tchaikovsky's symphonies with the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, initiated in May 2010 with the Manfred Symphony.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Tchaikovsky attributed the 'Russian element' in his music, including its folk-song-like melodies and harmonies, to his childhood in a remote area and his deep love for Russian folk music.

Composer Biography

Tchaikovsky spent nearly ten years at boarding school due to the 1,300-kilometer distance between his hometown of Votkinsk and St. Petersburg.

Composition History

The premiere of Tchaikovsky's First Symphony in Moscow in 1868 was met with such enthusiasm that the composer reportedly kissed everyone present and shattered all the glasses.

Composition History

Tchaikovsky's First Symphony was heavily criticized by Anton Rubinstein, a prominent Russian pianist and composer, leading to several revisions before its premiere.

Composer Biography

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's parents initially intended a legal career for him, enrolling him at a prestigious law school in St. Petersburg at age eleven.