|
Peter
Tchaikovsky was a leading Russian composer of the late 19th
century, whose music was famous for its melodies and orchestration.
He is regarded as the master composer for classical ballet, as demonstrated
by his muisc for Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker.
Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840, in
Kamsko-Votkinsk, a small industrial town east of Moscow in Russia.
At 22, he gave up his boring job as a clerk in the Ministry of Justice
to devote his life to music.
In 1892,
just a year before his death, he finished the Nutcracker.
At first he was not even sure he liked the idea of writing music for
the Nutcracker Ballet. But then, on a trip to
Paris, Tchaikovsky saw something that made him change his mind. It
was a newly invented musical instrument, the celesta. The
celesta made unusual sounds that were just perfect for a fairytale!
Tchaikovsky was so excited about his discovery that he bought a
celesta and had it shipped to St. Petersburg – all that for what
would be about $250,000 in today’s money. Now he badly wanted to
use the celesta in the Nutcracker Ballet! “Send it straight to St.
Petersburg,” he wrote, “but let nobody there find out about it!
I’m afraid that other people will learn about it and use the
celesta in an orchestra before I can. I expect that this new
instrument will make a sensation!”
|
