The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Music by Sherman Robert

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Music by Sherman Robert

Author:Sherman, Robert [Sherman, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 1997-05-31T16:00:00+00:00


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Bet You Didn’t Know

Medal or no medal, Tchaikovsky was so afraid that people would be upset with him for having used the same text as Beethoven for the finale of the Ninth Symphony, that he refused to allow the piece to be published during his lifetime. Unfortunately, nobody bothered to publish it after his lifetime either, so the cantata did not actually appear in print until 1960.

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As Tchaikovsky’s fame and fortune increased, so did his psychological torment. Rumors were spreading about his homosexuality, and in a tortured attempt to quell them, Tchaikovsky married a young conservatory student. Predictably, the union was a disaster, the composer fleeing after nine days, then trying to commit suicide by walking into the Moskva River. (The idea was to get pneumonia, but he only wound up with a lousy cold.)

The next woman who came into his life was Nadezhda von Meck, and talk about an ideal relationship (under the circumstances): she paid Tchaikovsky’s debts, lent him money, then bestowed upon him a generous annual allowance, the only condition being that composer and benefactress never meet face to face. “My beloved friend,” the grateful and highly relieved Tchaikovsky wrote to her, “every note which comes from my pen in future is dedicated to you. To you I owe this reawakening love of work, and I shall never forget for a moment that you have made it possible for me to carry on my career.”



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