Bao Huo Lao Biographies Library · Giants 100 Biographies Series -- Tchaikovsky

Author: Li Huaidong (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-10-01
Features: We are delighted to recommend the "Giant Biographies Series" to young friends. At the turn of the century, having such a premium series accompany you is a joy in wisdom. We believe that from the footsteps of these giants and masters, you can learn how to properly handle success and failure, comfort and hardship, joy and pain, smoothness and trials, and understand how to face life, how to be a person, how to pursue knowledge, how to shape oneself, and how to shape the future.
Principal of Peking University: Zhao Yulin
Party Secretary: Dong Lingsheng
Principal of Tsinghua University: Zhao Qinggang
The giants are the elite of humanity. They have made outstanding contributions to the progress and civilization of human society. Their spirit of struggle and extraordinary achievements are deeply admired by people, becoming models for others to learn from. Giants are human, not gods; they come from ordinary people but surpass them. Their lofty ideals and the belief that they wish to benefit their country and humanity are the driving force behind their relentless striving and fearlessness of difficulties.
Principal of Tianjin Nankai: Kang Xiuyan
By carefully reading this series, you will feel their appearance, speech, and actions, and sense their ideals, beliefs, ambitions, and moral character. This will help you learn how to be a person, how to pursue knowledge, and how to build a career.
Principal of Fudan University: Cao Tianren
Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a Russian composer. From 1863 to 1865, he studied under Rubinstein at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1866, he became a professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory and met Rimsky-Korsakov. In his spare time, he engaged in composition and wrote music criticism. From 1874 to 1875, he composed the "Piano Concerto," which brought him worldwide fame and truly put him on the world stage. Tchaikovsky's music is renowned for its lyrical beauty and powerful emotional expression. He incorporated elements of Italian opera, French ballet, and German symphonic composition, giving his works a rich and vibrant color.
Tchaikovsky's most outstanding works include Symphony No. 4, Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 6, three ballet scores, the "Piano Concerto," the "Violin Concerto," and the "String Serenade." The "1812 Overture," completed in October 1880, was commissioned by Nikolai Rubinstein for the Moscow Art and Industry Exposition and is one of Tchaikovsky's most beloved works. The piece was first performed on August 8, 1882, and was met with an extremely warm reception from the audience. The patriotic themes expressed in the music, combined with the grandeur of the orchestra and the intense atmosphere of the final section with its bells, drums, and cannon fire, excited the audience immensely, making the performance a great success. The overture required an exceptionally large orchestra and even included a military band and cannons at the end. Tchaikovsky had not anticipated that this overture would bring him such fame and be considered one of his representative works.
The historical context of the "1812 Overture" is as follows: In 1812, Napoleon,. Russian General Kutuzov adopted a scorched-earth strategy, ordering the abandonment of Moscow, with 90% of the population evacuating. Farmers joined guerrilla units, burning crops, leaving Napoleon's invading army fighting in the freezing cold with empty stomachs. Napoleon's army, unable to withstand the Russian counterattack and guerrilla raids, suffered a crushing defeat and escaped back to France via a circuitous route. The Russian people read with pride Kutuzov's declaration to his troops: "Brave and victorious army! You have finally reached the frontiers of imperialism. Each of you is a savior of the motherland. Russia welcomes you with this name. The extraordinary achievements you have built during this swift advance have amazed the entire nation and brought us eternal glory."
The ballet "The Nutcracker" is a two-act, three-scene fantasy ballet composed in 1892. The libretto was written by Petipa based on the fairy tale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by Ernst Hoffmann and an adaptation by Alexandre Dumas. Tchaikovsky selected six pieces from the ballet to create the "The Nutcracker Suite," which premiered on March 7, 1892, at a symphony concert and was a resounding success. The ballet premiered in St. Petersburg on December 6 of the same year. This work is one of Tchaikovsky's three representative ballets and has remained a classic in the world of dance. The music of the ballet is filled with simple yet mystical fairy-tale colors and has a strong children's music character.
The ballet "Swan Lake" is a four-act ballet composed in 1876. The story is based on an ancient Russian fairy tale and was adapted by Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It is one of Tchaikovsky's most famous works. Due to the mediocre original choreography and the lack of experience of the orchestra conductor, the premiere on February 20, 1877, was a failure. It was not until the performance in St. Petersburg in 1895 that it achieved stunning success and became a classic of world ballet. "Swan Lake" remains a model for dancers and a of realistic ballet.
The opera "The Queen of Spades" is a three-act opera. The libretto was adapted by Tchaikovsky's brother Modest Tchaikovsky from Pushkin's novella of the same name and premiered in St. Petersburg's Maryinsky Theatre in 1890. This opera is one of Tchaikovsky's most representative works. The plot is roughly as follows: A poor young officer, Герман, falls in love with a beautiful lady from high society, Лиза. However, the vast difference in their social classes is an insurmountable obstacle to their happy union. By chance, Герман learns from a friend that Лиза's grandmother, the elderly Countess, possesses three winning cards in gambling. He decides to uncover the mystery and fantasizes about changing his social status through gambling, ultimately marrying Лиза in glory. In reality, the legend of the three winning cards is merely a fictional rumor. Despite his efforts, Герман not only kills the Countess but also drives Лиза, who learns the truth, to commit suicide out of heartbreak. In the end, he himself loses everything at the gambling table and takes his own life in despair and regret.