Performing Arts: Music

Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet

On May 7, 1840, Pyotr (or Peter) Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia. Despite being born into a family with little musical inclination, he began piano lessons at the age of five and continued his studies throughout his childhood. While he was a young adult, Tchaikovsky attended law school, which eventually led to a position at the Ministry of Justice in St. Petersburg. Four short years later in 1863, he became disinterested in his legal profession and attended the Conservatory of Music. He later became a professor of harmony at a new conservatory in Moscow, and after a few years, he began composing his own works.

In 1868, Tchaikovsky's First Symphony was performed in Moscow and gained much public approval. As a result, Tchaikovsky was applauded as a successful new composer. That same year, he was introduced to the "The Mighty Five"—Balakirev, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and Mussorgsky—who were established and respected Russian Romantic composers at the time. Miliy Balakirev (1837-1910) advised Tchaikovsky to compose Romeo and Juliet, and by the autumn of 1869, this symphonic poem was completed! After many revisions, as suggested by Balakirev, the first performance of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet debuted in Moscow, Russia on March 16, 1870.

Symphonic poems are usually based on a literary work, as is the case with Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet. The music tends to be descriptive and programmatic; in other words, the composer creates music based on the scenes, plots, characters, and/or events in the original literary work.

Tchaikovsky highlights three main ideas from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in his work. The first event depicts the solemn opening scene with Friar Lawrence. The second theme illustrates the feuding scenes of the Montagues and Capulets, and the last, of course, is the famous love theme of Romeo and Juliet. Each of these themes is orchestrated with instruments that reflect the tone or emotion expressed within each respective scene.

For example, the scene with Friar Lawrence features low woodwinds and cellos to convey the somber mood. The music eventually intensifies in speed to introduce the allegro, in which the swordplay of the Montagues and Capulets is evident. The English horn and violas, which have very warm tones, are used to express the Romeo and Juliet love theme.

In addition to Romeo and Juliet, Tchaikovsky composed many other works. Some of his most renowned works include his three ballets, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty; the operas The Queen of Spades and Vakula the Smith; three piano concertos; and a handful of fantastic symphonies. Peter Tchaikovsky is credited with introducing western music to Russian tradition and challenging contemporaries to elicit more emotion from their audiences with their music than ever before!

Additional Resources:

The Classical Music Pages: Piotr Tchaikovsky
http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/tchaikovsky.html

This site provides a detailed biography of Tchaikovsky, a study of his works, and information about his contemporaries as musical influences.

Pyotr Il'ich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Catalogue of Works
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky

This site provides a complete catalogue of his works, including stage works, operas, orchestral and chamber music, vocal music, and detailed notes on each composition.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky
http://www.hearts-ease.org/conservatory/l-romantic/tchaikovsky/

Key works, a biography, a short description of the romantic period, and additional resources for researching Tchaikovsky are available on this site.