Friday 9 October 2009

Pathétique

Like the Brahms Clarinet Quintet, Tchaikovsky’s last symphony (his 6th) is in b minor. But, if the mood of the Brahms might be characterised as gentle resignation, that of the Tchaikovsky is a heady mixture of passion, euphoria and despair.
The composer wrote to the dedicatee – his nephew, ‘Bob’ Davidov – ‘I can tell you in all sincerity that I consider this symphony the best thing I have ever done’. Nine days after conducting the first performance Tchaikovsky was dead.


Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky


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