Classical Principle Weekly
June 20, 2023
Tchaikovsky on Mozart
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born May 7, 1840, in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Vyatka, Russia, whose family was from Ukraine. Tchaikovsky’s grandfather, Pyotr Feodorovitch was the son of a Cossack, Fedir Chaika (meaning seagull) and he annually spent several months in the Ukraine, where he composed over 30 works. Tchaikovsky wrote: “I found the peace of mind here that I had unsuccessfully sought in Moscow and Petersburg.” He was proud of his Ukrainian heritage, but he was also a proud Russian.
Just as he loved his Russian-Ukrainian heritage, he also drew strength from the West. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one such strength. In fact, he was such a hero to Tchaikovsky that Tchaikovsky referred to him as a “musical Christ”, i.e. both Man and God. Tchaikovsky’s “Orchestral Suite No. 4, Op. 61”, known as “Mozartiana”, was written in 1887 as a tribute to Mozart on the 100th anniversary of that composer's opera Don Giovanni. The composition draws from several works by Mozart, who he wanted to be better known in Russia.
Tchaikovsky conducted the premiere himself, in Moscow in November 1887. It was the only one of his suites he conducted, and only the second at whose premiere he was present.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR0QL_IZrDhucNJP9wHrJe9tDTdVZ5C3Kzl3V9HhKcz_WBLvR0_eQiqQq64&v=6bYRgv-fiY4&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=BartjeBartmans