In 1877, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky married a former student to suppress rumors about his homosexuality, but the marriage was short-lived and led to a nervous breakdown.
Composition History
Nadezhda von Meck, a wealthy widow, supported Tchaikovsky with an annual annuity, allowing him to leave his teaching position and dedicate himself entirely to composition.
Performer Biography
Dmitrij Kitajenko, the conductor on this album, was named Conductor Laureate of the Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne in 2009, a title previously held only by Günter Wand.
Composition History
For his Capriccio Italien, Tchaikovsky collected Italian folk melodies, some from anthologies and others by listening on the streets of Rome.
Composition History
Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda von Meck, his friend and confidante, exchanged over 1200 letters in 14 years, agreeing never to meet in person.
Composition History
Tchaikovsky dedicated his Fourth Symphony to Nadezhda von Meck, his patron, anonymously with the inscription 'A mon meilleur ami' (To my best friend) on the score.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Tchaikovsky described the main idea of his Fourth Symphony as 'fate, that ominous power that hovers like a sword of Damocles over our heads and incessantly poisons our souls.'
