Bryan Mattson, age 17, of Cleveland, Ohio, for his question:
HOW MANY SYMPOHONIES DID TCHAIKOVSKY COMPOSE?
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky is considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time. He was the first Russian composer to gain international fame. He wrote six symphonies as well as a number of concertos, some fine ballet music and almost a dozen operas.
Music scholars agree that Tchaikovsky's six symphonies stand out as landmarks in his artistic development. Here's how you pronounce the composer's name: Cheye kawf skee.
The first three of Tchaikovsky's symphonies are pleasing musically, but they are seldom performed today.
Music experts say his fourth, which was written in 1877, is his first masterpiece in the symphonic form.
Perhaps the most famous is Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, which was written in 1888. Experts say that this is his finest from the standpoint of formal construction.
Symphony No. 6, which Tchaikovsky composed in 1893, is called the "Pathetique." It departs from the traditional symphonic form by expressing a deeply emotional sense of tragedy in the first movement.
The composer's three ballets have become classics and the music is performed regularly today. The ballets are "Swan Lake" (1875), "Sleeping Beauty" (1888) and "Nutcracker" (1892).
Tchaikovsky wrote 11 operas. "Eugene Onegin" (1877) and "Queen of Spades" (1890) are the only two that are well known outside of Russia. Both have words based on works by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.
"Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B flat minor" (1874) and "Violin Concerto in D major" (1878) are classics of their types.
Tchaikovsky was a master of orchestration with a superb talent for blending instrumental sounds and for achieving rousing orchestral efforts. Famous is his spirited "1812" overture and especially lyrical is his symphonic poem "Romeo and Juliet."
The composer also had a remarkable gift for writing melody.
Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840, in Votkinsk. He studied at law school but then switched to the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He became the first Russian composer to receive systematic training in music fundamentals.
From 1866 until 1877, the great musician taught at the Moscow Conservatory of Music. He started composing seriously about 1866.
He married in 1877 but was separated from his wife within a few weeks. This experience brought him close to a nervous breakdown.
In 1876 a wealthy widow named Nadezhda von Meck commissioned some works from the composer. She admired his work and his music. She agreed to support him so he could compose at leisure. But she insisted that they never meet. They exchanged letters for years.
Assured of an income, Tchaikovsky left the Moscow Conservatory and concentrated on composing. He traveled widely and in 1891, just 100 years ago, he took part in the opening of Carnegie Hall in New York City. Tchaikovsky died on Nov. 6, 1992 at the age of 52.