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There is a piano reduction of the orchestra parts. ... Read more

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Sourcebooks MediaFusion and Naxos proudly present this fascinating biography of composer Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Acclaimed music writer Jeremy Siepmann follows Tchaikovsky’s development as man and composer, and sets out the experiences-the personal joys and sorrows as well as the broader cultural forces-that formed him and made him one of the most widely loved composers in classical music.

Tchaikovsky was a man of neurotic diffidence, his self-doubt increased by his homosexuality. His music is thoroughly Russian in character, but he embraced Western and international elements and opened his works to a wider audience.

Included are two CDs of carefully chosen Tchaikovsky pieces. Readers also gain access to an exclusive website that offers new essays, the musical works in full and more. This revolutionary biography utilizes traditional and new media to provide a uniquely rounded portrait of the composer and his music. ... Read more

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A giant in the pantheon of 19th century composers, Tchaikovsky continues to enthrall audiences today. From the Nutcracker--arguably the most popular ballet currently on the boards--Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty, to Eugene Onegin and Pique Dame, to the Symphony Pathetique and the always rousing, canon-blasting 1812 Overture--this prolific and beloved composer's works are perennial favorites. Now, John Wiley, a renowned Tchaikovsky scholar, provides a fresh biography aimed in classic Master Musicians style at the student and music lover. Wiley deftly draws on documents from imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet era sources, providing a more balanced look at recent controversies surrounding the marriage, death, and sexuality of the composer. The author dovetails the biographical material with separate chapters that treat the music thoroughly and fully, work-by-work, with more substantial explorations of Tchaikovsky's most familiar compositions. These analyses present new, even iconoclastic perspectives on the music and the composer's intent and expression. Several informative appendices, in the Master Musicians format, include an exhaustive list of works and bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Crisp Prose, Objective Scholarship, and a Fun Read!
In a volume that has brought forth criticism of "turgid, plodding, and pointless" from a News Junkie, one wonders what The Spare Bedroom Press has brought forth on the public. Well, quite simply what's been done here is a soundly researched and intelligently voiced biography of a composer who desperately needs it. So florid is the usual writing about Tchaikovsky that it's difficult not to think that the writer is trying to imitate the character of the music itself, rather than the person who composed it.

It a forthright, exceptionally well researched and purposefully well mixed scholarly and popular melange of prose, Roland John Wiley has managed to bring off a first rate volume. Would that this kind of dedication and puckish humor extended beyond the confines of his preferred specialities of Russian music to a larger canon of 19th century Beethovinian, Schubertian, or Chopinesque repertoire.

We would all be the richer for it.

excellent biography
It's an excellent biography and a real page-turner.
It also was shipped on time and came in an excellent condition.

Save your money
Although it has been well reviewed, this book is turgid, plodding, and pointless. The pointlessness is deliberate. Amazingly the author goes out of his way to state that his thesis is that an accurate and insightful biography of Tcshaikovsky CANNOT be written. He proves his point, which may satisfy him personally, but leaves the reader wondering why he wasted his time and money. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

excellent book....however, too opinionated
I've read the first three volumes of this most extensive and thoroughly researched monumental biography.I can't wait to read this final fourth volume.I have found only two faults, so far.The author delves into great detail and depth about all of the master's music.This should be welcome reading to those unfamiliar with certain neglected works.However, he allows too much of his own personal opinion to taint his descriptions of certain works (certainly stemming from his British egotistical, "know-it-all" background).I don't fault him personally, as much as recognize his country of origin in every paragraph!One perfect example is his total dismissal of the Piano Sonata in G, as being one of the dullest works Tchaikovsky composed.Having performed the work myself, and heard such exciting performances as those of Richter, and others, I can only assume Brown's only knowledge of the piece is from hearing a "dull"British pianist's performance.But, for me, the more unforgivable fault is the author's inability to come to terms with Tchaikovsky's homosexuality.Mr.Brown obviously has difficulty with this topic, and refers to it as "Tchaikovsky's condition." Mr.Brown really belongs to Tchaikovsky's era (he's way out of touch) in terms of his ability to understand it.Too bad, as it really casts a shadow over this otherwise outstanding series.I'm quite convinced that Tchaikovsky should be held up as a hero for his ability to acknowledge his sexual orientation to the extent he could in such an oppresive environment!Also, remember that the Soviets for years suppressed any homosexual references in Tchaikovsky's letters and writings.Thus, he actually did acknowledge it to a far greater extent then was previously known.His stature should gain by this.He was a remarkable man deserving everyone's respect and admiration for the hours of pleasure he has brought to the world! ... Read more

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Play along with 10 pieces from the beloved holiday ballet, including: Arabian Dance ("Coffee") * Chinese Dance ("Tea") * Dance of the Reed-Flutes * Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy * Final Waltz and Apotheosis * March from the Nutcracker * Overture * Russian Dance ("Trepak") * Spanish Dance * Waltz of the Flowers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Tchaikovsky's The Nutcrackar
I think that the music is well written and challenging. Very well done if you listen to orchestral pieces you can really follow along with them. That being said a couple songs are cut short almost in half and the accompaniment CD is just atrocious. The tracks are single tracks only with the melody on the left channel which is done by some creepy midi xylophone. I really prefer the accompaniment to have two tracks for each song, one with and one without the melody. ... Read more

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Tchaikovsky dedicated his original and emotionally vibrant Fourth Symphony to his newly found correspondent Nadezhda von Meck.This correspondence started at the end of 1876, when Tchaikovsky was in need of funds. On the recommendation of Nikoli Rubinstein, Director of the Moscow Conservatoire where Tchaikovsky was a professor, Nadezhda before the other, Nadezhda von Meck sincerely and increasingly gushingly, Tchaikovsky less sincerely to begin with, but much more so before the elapse of many months. Each was determined never to meet the other in the flesh for fear of destroying their very special relationship.The years covered by the present book are by far the most important in the correspondence. They cover the period of Tchaikovsky's tempestuously abortive marriage, about which he is surprisingly candid; in addition to the Fourth Symphony, the compositions of the period include his finest and most sensitive opera, Eugene Onegin, and the ever popular Violin Concerto, as well as numerous other smaller works. Their views on many musical, literary, philosophical, and other matters are stated frankly and, though they are often in accord, they are not afraid to agree to differ either.Not only giving a unique insight into Tchaikovsky the composer, these letters are perhaps as fascinating as any ever printed. Many are published in English for the first time. The translations, by a native-born Russian who lived the latter part of her life in England, and edited by a music scholar who reads Russian and a Slavist who is qualified in music, are as close to the letter and spirit of the original as it is possible to get. The correspondence will be of interest both to musicians and music lovers, and to all who are interested in the arts and culture of the nineteenth century. ... Read more

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This piano solo of Tchaikovsky's masterful Christmas ballet offers pianists a chance to enjoy favorites such as "The Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy" and "The Waltz of the Flowers." Created by distinguished composer Sergey Taneyev at the time of the ballet' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Poor Quality
The music itself is magnificent, and I must thank the last reviewer on an excellent post. However the quality of the book is quite poor. The binding is cheap and the pages are very thin and have a newsprint feel making quick page turns difficult. I recommend having the book spiral- bound at an office supply store. For the everyday pianist, the book is great, however the professional ballet accompanist should seek out a higher-quality score.

Finally
This is a book I've been looking for for years: the original piano arrangement of the entire Nutcracker Ballet score. The score harbors many delightful pieces that are not included in the ubiquitous Nutcracker Suite, such as the music for the scene around the Christmas tree, Grandfather's Dance, the Pas de Deux, and the Valse Finale. The arrangements are by Taneeff, and revised by the composer. The score has been reprinted from a rare copy in 2005. The piano arrangement is playable for advanced amateur pianists (this is NOT a Nutcracker-made-easy version), and cleverly done: it has the feel of a piano score, not of a reduced orchestra score. (Nutcracker lovers familiar with the Concert version of the ballet music will find slight (and interesting) discrepancies, but the music from the Concert version is all there, albeit in a somewhat different order. The only funny part of the arrangement is that the upper register seems to have been left out in the complex music of the fight between the nutcracker and the mouse king.) ... Read more

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Reputed to be one of the composer’s favorite works, the Serenade in C enjoys immense popularity among both performers and listeners. This handsome volume also features Suite No. 4, known as Mozartiana, a delightful orchestral suite inspired by four pieces by Mozart. Both pieces appear here in full score, reproduced from authoritative sources. Contents. Instrumentation.
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Customer Reviews (5)

Finally, this wonderful ballet in its entirety
Years ago, I purchased the Nutcracker Suite in full score, only to discover that it was only a few famous selections from the full ballet. This was my own mistake because I failed to realize that it was, in fact, merely the suite in full score. But now, after waiting for years after, Dover has presented us with a wonderful full score of the whole ballet that we all know as the most famous ballet ever written. If you are a great admirer of this magnificent work by Tchaikovsky, I highly suggest purchasing this well-priced score.

At last: the real thing.
I finally broke down and bought this excellent reprint of the full score.It completes my circle of "Nutcracker" appreciation: first as music (as a kid - two recordings and the piano pieces that drove my parents crazy), then as ballet (as a teen, the first ballet I ever saw), then as orchestration (as the celesta player - "I AM Sugar-Plum!"), and now I can look at the score with full appreciation, with more than one exclamation of "So THAT'S how he did it!"Everything from the translated Russian to the French stage directions adds to the value of this highly affordable publication.A real joy.

A splendid reprint
Despite the remarks of a couple of previous reviewers, this Dover score is very much a faithful reprint of the score first issued in September 1892 by P. Jurgenson, Moscow. The original price was 150 rubles, which was roughly the equivalent of $75 in 1892 dollars - or $1500 in 2005 dollars!! It's therefore safe to say that this Dover reprint is a terrific bargain.

I can understand the previous reviewers' excitement, though. Having the complete ballet available - with page after page of such glorious music - is a pure delight for music lovers. The quality of Dover's printing and binding is excellent even by their usual high standards. They absolutely deserve each and every one of the five stars I'm giving them in this review.

at last a cheap clear score of the nutcracker
at last a cheap, clear score of the nutcracker ballet. it seems to be a new engraving, not just a reprint of a 19th century edition. the orchestration is as fresh as ever and the score lets you into the nitty gritty of tchaikovsky's inspiration for this his last ballet. I hope we don't wait too long for similar editions of sleeping beauty and swan lake. have fun and enjoy.

Finally, an affordable complete Nutcracker!
I have long awaited this publication. Shortly after I purchased the Nutcracker Suite from Dover 6 years ago, I wrote them multiple times asking them to consider publishing the complete work, but I was disappointed until now.

A reprint of an "Authoritative Early [Russian?] Edition," the score is very pleasingly engraved, close-spaced but not overly crowded. In the front, there is a translation of all the Russian notes that occur in the text, and all of the French stage directions are translated in footnotes at the bottom of the pages. Though it is over 500 pages, Dover has used paper thinner than their norm (yet with virtually no bleed-through), so the book is not too thick.It is, however, a little floppier than most of my other Dover scores.That, though, is a very small price to pay finally to own a full score of this most-popular ballet!

Finally, I can study the orchestration in some of the gems not found in the suite, such as the Waltz of the Snowflakes, Chocolate (Spanish Dance), and others--in an edition that is both affordable and well-made.I had been able to borrow a copy of the 2-volume paperback Kalmus edition (atrociously expensive for a student's budget) from my college library, and I was shocked at how poorly it was bound.The spine cracked after one or two GENTLE usings and pages were about to fall out.Such will not be the case with this Dover edition.I look forward to many years of pleasant study and enjoyment with this volume. ... Read more

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The present volume, translated from the monumental Russian biography by the composer's brother, is the result of a careful selection of material. The leading idea which the editor has kept in view has been to preserve as far as possible the autobiographical character of the book. ILLUS.

THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY:Books for College Libraries. ... Read more

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This is a biography which gives due space both to Tchaikovsky's unhappy, restless life and also to the prodigious talent, his methods of working and the gradual genesis of his greatest large-scale works. It includes a comprehensive list of his works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Fascinating Read for Music History Buffs
Pyotr Illich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840, in Votkinsk, Russia, as the second son of Ilya Petrovich Tchaikovsky and Alexandra Andreyevna Assier. His childhood was rocky, and he was often called a "porcelain child" by his governess, Fanny Durbach, who feared she would cause him to break down into tears with her stern lessons. His hypersensitivity was worrisome to Fanny, who regarded his desire for music as morbid. He would often sneak off to the sitting room to play his beloved piano, to Fanny's dismay. The family moved to St. Petersburg in 1848, and he was boarded at the Schmelling School with his brother Nikolay. They relocated yet again in June 1849 to Alapayevsk, and Pyotr was sent with Nikolay to the School of Jurisprudence in St. Petersburg in October 1850. Later, his new guardian, Modest Alexeyevich Vakar took him to see Don Giovanni, which he would forever consider a turning point in his life. His school gave him chance to develop his love of music, and he did so readily. Then in June 1854, his mother contracted cholera and shortly died. The effect of her death was so great on Pyotr that it has been considered as the main source of his homosexuality. But at that time, these tendencies were kept so silent that he could be hung if the government was to discover his secret. His fear of exposure followed him throughout his life, and haunted him further in middle-age, in his failed marriage to Antonina Milyukova in 1877. He finally realized that the relationship could never work, but not soon enough to save Antonina driving herself mad with efforts of trying to satisfy him. He divorced her, and sent her to an insane asylum, where she died in 1914. From 1855 to 1877, He continued his studies, and composed 23 orchestral and solo with orchestra pieces. He completed 4 operas, including The Oprichnik and was at work on Eugene Onegin at the time of his marriage. He also composed Swan Lake (finished 1876), The Barber of Seville (finished 1872), Le Nozze di Figaro (finished 1875), 13 Chamber pieces, and three choral pieces. Prior to his marriage, he was commissioned by Nadezhda von Meck to be her personal composer. Their friendship lasted until October 1889, when she asked him to cease correspondence with her. While he stayed her composer for thirteen years, he had a life of his own. He traveled across Russia, to Germany, Italy, France, and stayed, for several months, in England, though he detested the language and all English books, save Dickens. In 1889, he finished The Sleeping Beauty, and then The Nutcracker in 1892. He completed his arrangements of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet in 1891 and 1893, respectively. Pyotr enjoyed three definite years of true fame, from 1890 to 1893. Shortly after his completion of Symphony No. 6 "Pathetic," he felt very and old and longed for death. Some interpret his death as suicide, because he knew the risks of drinking unboiled water in a cholera epidemic, and rightly so. But, according to accounts from friends, he had been blackmailed by a woman angry over his relationship with her son earlier in the day, and was thrown into deep depression, obviously resulting in his death at the age of 53. Tchaikovsky by John Warrack was a fascinating look into the life of Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

The biography, however obviously predictable, offered a deeper look into his life and death, as author John Warrack compared his current pieces to his feelings and emotions of the same time, and showed a deeper meaning to his music. At first glance, his music, especially his March Slav, seem generally depressing, as many of them are written in minor keys, such as E flat minor and his seemingly favorite key, B flat minor, in which many orchestral and choral works were written.

Warrack's take on Tchaikovsky's life was insightful, and offered a bit of room for inference in some places, whereas many biographies will merely explain why the person did what they did, instead of letting your imagination take hold. I have found that many nonfiction and biographical books don't let you think for yourself, they tell you what you're supposed to think of a certain action or emotion. Warrack would describe something Tchaikovsky had done, and then let me pass judgment on him as I preferred.

Tchaikovsky is a great read, and will certainly keep anyone wanting to know more. Although I wouldn't recommend this for someone uninterested in music history, it could certainly be used as a biographical model for future writers, or anyone interested in nonfiction that isn't afraid to read summaries of operas and dramas, or possibly have to reach for the musical dictionary every once in a while.

-C. Edwards
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Tchaikovsky's final symphony has fascinated generations of music lovers since its first performance just over a century ago. Professor Jackson explores sensitively and without prejudice the question of the Pathétique's program and its relation to Tchaikovsky's homosexuality and death. The book covers the work's conception, genesis, and reception, and presents an in-depth analysis of its remarkable formal structure. The reception chapter investigates the Pathétique's impact on Tchaikovsky's younger contemporaries as well as its political interpretation in the twentieth century, especially its transformation into a cultural icon of the Third Reich. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not really a review - more a warning
Let me start with a disclaimer. I haven't read this book and don't want anyone to be misled or misguided into thinking that this note is anything other than what it is - a "proceed with caution" sign.

I ran into this book while trying to track down alternate versions of Mengelberg's recording of Richard Strauss's Ein Heldenleben. The Amazon search engine took me to excerpts from this book and, since they looked interesting, I looked into the pages cited. What I found was a swamp of the worst attacks against Mengelberg, Furtwangler, and Karajan as Nazi functionaries. The complexities of the relationships of those indisputably great artists with the totalitarian regime they had to live with is ironed into the flatness of a propaganda poster and we learn, for example, that Karajan joined the Nazi party twice with the implication that this was because he was such an enthusiast for the party's agenda (not because, as a foreigner in Germany, penniless at the beginning of his professional career, he would not be allowed to work without party membership and because the documentation of his membership was lost when he got a new job - what would joining twice have meant, that he was really, really a committed Nazi and therefore entitled to great patronage in his search for work? If that were the case, he [and every other ambitious artist in Germany at the time] would have joined the party twice or more a year on the theory that many memberships would yield many membership points, somewhat like what the airlines would later do with frequent fliers.), that Furtwangler would do whatever the Nazis wanted (which was far from the complete truth) and that Mengelberg made himself into a poster child for the Dutch collaborationist regime (which, again is far from what was really going on).

Good history - you could start with RIchard Osborne's excellent (and clear-eyed) biography of Karajan - shows the complexity of these issues and of the people who had to deal with them - and that the kind of moral cheap grace displayed by Mr. Jackson here is of more value as self-congratulation than as a useful look into how real people responded to real world questions.

In fairness, this is a book about a Tchaikovsky symphony, not about the moral issues of performers under repressive regimes, but I have serious doubts about the capacity for analysis or clear thought of an author who could go off the rails so easily on this issue.

To end where I began (sort of), I don't know much of what this gentleman wrote about the music itself. It might, for all I know, be of a completely different order than is his analysis of the actions of the musicians that I briefly discussed above. But that analysis is so shallow and lacking in insight that it makes me wonder about the likely quality of the rest of the book. ... Read more

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The opening of Carnegie Hall in May 1891 was celebrated with a spectacular gala music festival, central to which was the participation of one of the most eminent living composers: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky conducting several of his own compositions.In response to the invitation to play at this event, Tchaikovsky traveled thousands of miles from his home near Moscow and became the first great European composer to visit America.A charming account of Tchaikovsky's only visit to America, this book is a revealing psychological portrait of Tchaikovsky in his last three years.It is also a rich picture of the cultural life of New York at the turn of the century, recounting Tchaikovsky's encounters with prominent Americans, among them Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist and philanthropist, and Walter Damrosch, the well known American conductor.Much of the book is written in Tchaikovsky's own words, using the diary that he kept during his 25 days in America and on the sea voyages to and from the country.Making use of contemporary newspaper accounts, letters to and from Tchaikovsky, and other materials, Yoffe offers fresh insight into the roots of Tchaikovsky's enormous popularity in America. ... Read more

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Presents a biography of the nineteenth-century Russian composer. ... Read more

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This classic Schirmer edition has been enhanced with a companion CD. Each of the eight movements is recorded three times. First is a beautiful performance for listening, followed by a Primo only recording, and then a Secondo only recording for play-along practice. The Nutcracker has never been more fun! ... Read more