A Russian composer known for his colorful and romantic music, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is the creator of the magical sounds of "The Nutcracker." Born the son of a mine inspector and a half-French mother on May 7, 1840, Tchaikovsky is known to have dabbled in composition from the age of 14. But it was not until 1862 when he enrolled in the St. Petersburg Conservatory that he would devote his life entirely to music. It was there that Tchaikovsky would produce his first overture. Throughout the 1870's he enjoyed moderate success with the Second and Third Symphonies, operas "The Oprichnik" and "Vakula the Smith" and with the ballet "Swan Lake." However, 1877 marked a dramatic turn in his life, both for the good and the bad. Tchaikovsky married a 28-year-old ex-student to quiet the rumors of his being a homosexual. He also began a strange, platonic relationship with the wealthy widow Nadezhda von Meck, who would support him financially but wished to never meet him. His marriage proved catastrophic - leading Tchaikovsky to attempt suicide and flee his wife several months later.

He resumed his successful career in the 1880's, composing the "1812 Overture," the "Hamlet Overture-Fantasia," "Symphony No. 5 in E Minor," and the composition sketch to "The Sleeping Beauty," among others. By 1890, he had completed one of his most successful operas, "The Queen of Spades," and made his first and only trip to the United States. After his return, he lent his melodic gifts to the ballet "The Nutcracker," which surprisingly enjoyed little success during his lifetime.

The man who made such an indelible mark on music passed away on November 6, 1893, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Liturgia de São João Crisóstomo

Hino dos Querubins

Nós que, neste mistério,

representamos os querubins e

cantamos o hino três vezes santo

à Trindade criadora,

abandonamos agora as preocupações

deste mundo. Amen

Para receber o Rei de todas as coisas,

invisivelmente escoltado

pelos exércitos dos anjos.

Aleluia!

• Op.1
  Two Pieces, Piano

   

• Op.2
  Souvenir de Hapsal, Piano

   

• Op.3
  The Voyevoda, Opera

   

• Op.4
  Valse caprice, Piano (D Major)

   

• Op.5
  Romance, Piano (f Minor)

   

• Op.6
  Six Songs

   

• Op.7
  Valse-scherzo, Piano (A Major)

   

• Op.8
  Capriccio, Piano (G-flat Major)

   

• Op.9
  Trois Morceaux, Piano

   

• Op.10
  Deux Morceaux, Piano

   

• Op.11
  String Quartet No.1 (D Major)

   

• Op.12
  The Snow Maiden, Incidental Music

   

• Op.13
  Symphony No.1 (g Minor) ("Winter Daydreams")

   

• Op.15
  Festival Overture (D Major)

   

• Op.16
  Six Songs

   

• Op.17
  Symphony No.2 (c Minor) ("Little Russian")

   

• Op.18
  The Tempest, Symphonic Fantasia (f Minor)

   

• Op.19
  Six Morceaux, Piano

   

• Op.20
  Swan Lake, Ballet

   

• Op.21
  Six Morceaux, composés sur un seul thème, Piano

   

• Op.22
  String Quartet No.2 (F Major)

   

• Op.23
  Piano Concerto No.1 (b-flat Minor)

   

• Op.25
  Six Songs

   

• Op.26
  Sérénade mélancolique, Vln, Orch. (b Minor)

   

• Op.27
  Six Songs

   

• Op.28
  Six Songs

   

• Op.29
  Symphony No.3 (D Major) ("Polish")

   

• Op.30
  String Quartet No.3 (e-flat Minor)

•  

• Op.31
  Slavonic March, Orch. (B-flat Major)

   

• Op.32
  Francesca da Rimini, Symphonic Fantasia (e Minor)

• Op.33
  Variations on a Rococo Theme, Cello, Orch. (A Major)

• Op.34
  Valse-scherzo, Vln, Orch. (C Major)

   

• Op.35
  Violin Concerto (D Major)

   

• Op.36
  Symphony No.4 (f Minor)

   

• Op.37
  Piano Sonata (G Major)

   

• Op.37b
  Les Saisons, Piano

   

• Op.38
  Six Songs

   

• Op.39
  Album pour Enfants: 24 pièces faciles (à la Schumann), Piano

   

• Op.40
  Douze Morceaux (difficulté moyenne), Piano

   

• Op.41
  Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, unaccompanied Chorus

   

• Op.42
  Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Vln., Piano

  1. Méditation (d Minor)

  2. Scherzo (c Minor)

  3. Mélodie (E-flat Major)

   

• Op.43
  Suite No.1, Orch. (D Major)

   

• Op.44
  Piano Concerto No.2 (G Major)

   

• Op.45
  Capriccio Italien, Orch. (A Major)

   

• Op.46
  Six Duets

   

• Op.47
  Seven Songs

   

• Op.48
  Serenade, Str. (C Major)

   

• Op.49
  1812, Festival Overture (E-flat Major)

   

• Op.50
  Piano Trio (a Minor)

   

• Op.51
  Six Morceaux, Piano

   

• Op.52
  Vesper Service, unaccompanied Chorus

   

• Op.53
  Suite No.2, Orch. (C Major)

   

• Op.54
  Sixteen Childrens Songs

   

• Op.54/5
  Legend, unaccompanied Chorus (arrangement of a solo song)

   

• Op.55
  Suite No.3, Orch. (G Major)

   

• Op.56
  Concert Fantasia, Piano, Orch. (G Major)

   

• Op.57
  Six Songs

   

• Op.58
  Manfred, Symphony (b Minor)

   

• Op.59
  Dumka: Russian rustic Scene, Piano (c Minor)

• Op.60
  Twelve Songs

• Op.61
  Suite No.4, Orch. (G Major) ("Mozartiana")

   

• Op.62 Pezzo capriccioso, Cello, Orch. (b Minor)

   

• Op.63
  Six Songs

   

• Op.64
  Symphony No.5 (e Minor)

   

• Op.65
  Six Songs

   

• Op.66
  Sleeping Beauty, Ballet

   

• Op.67
  Hamlet, Fantasy Overture (f Minor)

• Op.67a
  Hamlet, Incidental Music

   

• Op.68
  The Queen of Spades, Opera

   

• Op.69
  Iolanta, Opera

   

• Op.70
  Souvenir de Florence, Str. Sextet (D Major)

   

• Op.71
  The Nutcracker, Ballet

• Op.71a
  The Nutcracker, Suite from the Ballet

   

• Op.72
  Dix-huit morceaux, Piano

   

• Op.73
  Six Songs

   

• Op.74
  Symphony No.6 (b minor) ("Pathétique")

   

• Op.75
  Piano Concerto No.3 (E-flat Major)
  (1. movement also called "Allegro de concert" or "Konzertstück")

   

• Op.76
  The Storm, Overture (E Major)

   

• Op.77
  Fate, Symphonic Poem (c Minor)

   

• Op.78
  The Voyevoda, Symphonic Ballad (a Minor)

   

• Op.79
  Andante, Finale, Piano, Orch. (B-flat Major, E-flat Major), unfinished

   

• Op.80
  Piano Sonata (c-sharp Minor)

          Works without Opus Numbers

 

• Eugene Onegin, Opera, 1877-78

   

• Mazeppa, Opera, 1881-83

   

• The Maid of Orleans, Opera, 1878-9, revised 1882

   

• Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture after Shakespeare (b Minor) 1869, revised 1870, 1880