July 25, 2025

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

1 hour 12 minutes

Donald Macleod explores Tchaikovsky’s life away from home. He spent significant parts of his peak years travelling or staying with friends, and a remarkable amount of his music was composed whilst staying with friends, on holiday or concert tours, or sometimes as a fugitive on the run. This evolved into a full decade of rootless wandering, which is peculiar given his frequent homesickness for Russia.

Music Featured:

Overture in C Minor

Symphony No 1 in G Minor, Op 13, "Winter Daydreams"

Cherevichki, Op 4

Symphony No 2 in C Minor, Op 17, "Little Russian"

Piano Concerto No 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op 23

Eugene Onegin, Act III Scene 2, Onegin! Ya togda molozhe

Swan Lake, Avt IV (excerpt)

Symphony No 4 in F Minor, Op 36

Suite No 1 in D Major, Op 43

6 Romances, Op 38, No 6, Pimpinella (arr. E. Firsova)

The Maid of Orleans, Op 4, Act I, Aria: Da, chas nastal - Ja, es ist Zeit … Lebt wohl, ihr Berge

Capriccio Italien, Op 45

Mazeppa: Act II, Scene 2, O, Mariya, Mariya! (Mazepa)

Vesper Service, Op 52

Les saisons (The Seasons), Op 37a

Fantaisie de Concert in G Major, Op 56

Piano Trio in A Minor, Op 50

Suite No 4 in G Major "Mozartiana" Op 61

Manfred Symphony, Op 5

Symphony No 5 in E Minor, Op 64

The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame), Op 68: Act I Scene1 (excerpt)

String Sextet in D, Souvenir de Florence, Op 70

The Nutcracker, Op 71: Act II Tableau 3: Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy

Symphony No 6 in B Minor, "Pathétique" Op 74

Presented by Donald Macleod

Produced by Iain Chambers for BBC Audio Wales & West

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002ftlt

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

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By BBC Radio 3

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