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Tchaikovsky: The Man Revealed
A tortured genius, a sensitive soul, and a great composer burdened by the weight of his private desires, Tchaikovsky’s life is explored in full by the incomparable John Suchet.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is one of the most successful composers that Russia has ever produced, but his path to success was not an easy one.
A shy, emotional child, intended for the civil service by his father, Tchaikovsky came late to composing as a career, and despite his success he was a troubled character. Doubting himself at every turn, he was keenly wounded by criticism. The death of his mother haunted him all his life and his incessant attempts to suppress his homosexuality took a huge toll.
From Tchaikovsky’s disastrous marriage to his extraordinary relationship with his female patron, his many amorous liaisons, and his devotion to friends and family, Suchet shows us how the complexity of Tchaikovsky’s emotional life plays out in his music. A man who was by turns quick to laugh and to despair, his mercurial temperament found its outlet in some of the most emotionally intense music ever written.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2019
About the author
John Suchet
30 books28 followersJohn Suchet presents Classic FM's flagship morning programme. His informative style of presentation, coupled with a deep knowledge of classical music, has won a wide spectrum of new listeners to the station. Before turning to classical music, John was one of the UK's best known television newscasters, regularly presenting ITN's flagship News at Ten, as well as all other bulletins, over a period of nearly 20 years. John has been honoured for both roles. He is the author of several bestselling composer biographies, including Beethoven: The Man Revealed.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 28, 2019
John Suchet's has written on several of the great composers. His bio of the composer of "The Nutcracker Suite" - Pytor Tchaikovsky(PT): Tchaikovsky: The Man Revealed. keeps up that tradition. He doesn't go into the composers music as such, he does provide a fascinating look at the man behind that music. In the case of Tchaikosky, Suchet takes a look at two main themes in the composer's life - his extreme sensitivity to criticism and his coming to grips with his homosexuality.
In looking at his sensitivity to criticism, cites many examples of how that criticism caused major depressions and even ruptured friendships. Suchet supposed that PT was never quite secure as a composer.
Suchet draws much of his information on PT from his brother's biography of him. Large sections of that bio is still redacted by Russian authorities, mainly sections dealling with his sexuality. The Soviets did every thing in their power to supress the knowledge of that aspect of the composers life. Even today Russian authorities while acknowledging his sexuality, don't want to talk about it. Because this reluctance, Suchet does a lot of fill in the blanks type of supposition about PT's lifestyle. PT's brother, himself was gay, was very close to the composer. So, he should know abit about that aspect of PT's life. One conclusion I came to about PT and his lifestyle - if he was alive today, he would probably be in jail. His lovers tended to be both very young (14-16) and his students. Also on this vein, he looks at his marriage as a last ditch attempt to overcome his proclivities. The marriage was a disaster from day one and PT couldn't end it.
In writing about PT's compositions, Suchet discusses just how much PT wanted to write Opera. While he composed several, none were masterpieces and none have really lasted. In discussing this aspect of composing, Suchet opines on just how difficult it is to write both for the Opera House and the concert stage. Even the greatest composers usually could do one or the other. Suchet opines that there has been only one man to really combine both - Mozart.
His relationship with his mysterious patron,Nadezhda von Meck, is also delved into. Her reluctance to meet him, even when he was staying at her estate is explored. As far as can be documented, they only met once - on her estate and that was by mistake.
Lastly Suchet looks at if PT committed suicide or not. His conclusion is that it is impossible to know for sure, but it can't be ruled out. What is known for sure is that PT ordered a glass of water in one of his favorite restaurants in St. Petersburg during a Cholera epidemic. When the waiter said they didn't have any boiled water available, PT threw a tantrum and demanded a glass of water. He got his water and drained the glass. He subsequently contracted cholera and died.
As with most of his books, this is lavishly illustrated. This is a definite 4+ star read for me.
In looking at his sensitivity to criticism, cites many examples of how that criticism caused major depressions and even ruptured friendships. Suchet supposed that PT was never quite secure as a composer.
Suchet draws much of his information on PT from his brother's biography of him. Large sections of that bio is still redacted by Russian authorities, mainly sections dealling with his sexuality. The Soviets did every thing in their power to supress the knowledge of that aspect of the composers life. Even today Russian authorities while acknowledging his sexuality, don't want to talk about it. Because this reluctance, Suchet does a lot of fill in the blanks type of supposition about PT's lifestyle. PT's brother, himself was gay, was very close to the composer. So, he should know abit about that aspect of PT's life. One conclusion I came to about PT and his lifestyle - if he was alive today, he would probably be in jail. His lovers tended to be both very young (14-16) and his students. Also on this vein, he looks at his marriage as a last ditch attempt to overcome his proclivities. The marriage was a disaster from day one and PT couldn't end it.
In writing about PT's compositions, Suchet discusses just how much PT wanted to write Opera. While he composed several, none were masterpieces and none have really lasted. In discussing this aspect of composing, Suchet opines on just how difficult it is to write both for the Opera House and the concert stage. Even the greatest composers usually could do one or the other. Suchet opines that there has been only one man to really combine both - Mozart.
His relationship with his mysterious patron,Nadezhda von Meck, is also delved into. Her reluctance to meet him, even when he was staying at her estate is explored. As far as can be documented, they only met once - on her estate and that was by mistake.
Lastly Suchet looks at if PT committed suicide or not. His conclusion is that it is impossible to know for sure, but it can't be ruled out. What is known for sure is that PT ordered a glass of water in one of his favorite restaurants in St. Petersburg during a Cholera epidemic. When the waiter said they didn't have any boiled water available, PT threw a tantrum and demanded a glass of water. He got his water and drained the glass. He subsequently contracted cholera and died.
As with most of his books, this is lavishly illustrated. This is a definite 4+ star read for me.
February 9, 2022
Beethoven was not a fan of his own WoO 57. Tchaikovsky adored Russia and its people and culture and also had to hide that he was gay because it was illegal. At school he was sexual with both teachers and students. He once cross-dressed with Saint-Saens and they danced. He learned Chopin and loved Mozart, not Beethoven. His father was Ukrainian. In addition to piano, Tchaikovsky also played flute and tympani. One of his first great pieces was Song without Words. Balakirev suggested to him that he compose the Romeo & Juliet piece. Its love theme (his first masterpiece) was written in D flat. ‘Little Russian’ as in his ‘Little Russian’ Symphony, meant the Ukraine.
His Andante Cantabile from the First Quartet was his next masterpiece; its elegiac beauty made Tolstoy cry. T’s amazing First Piano Concerto was ripped apart by critics at first; proof that critics should go screw themselves before they screw others. He was accused of stealing from others, which hurt him deeply. In response, he said, “I shall not change a single note!” For this reason, he had it premiered in the US, far away from the nasty Russian critics. Fourteen years later, Mr. T changed its opening chords to the super dramatic way it starts today. My mother was a concert pianist who played with Eugene Ormandy and I can never forget listening to her practice that piece with full intensity while I’d be doing my homework as a kid.
Bizet died thinking Carmen was a failure. Of it, Mr. T wrote, “This music has no pretensions to profundity, but it is so charming in its simplicity, so vigorous, not contrived but instead sincere, that I learned all of it from beginning to end almost by heart.” Then he writes Swan Lake after Symphony #3. As a professor he stands out because the teachers around him are chasing after their female students, while Tchaikovsky preferred his male students. Then comes his Marche Slav which is adored. Unabashed war music always gets theoretically Christian people all a flutter. Mr. T marries, a super dumb idea that quickly becomes a life-long regret. He frequents male prostitutes. He gets a long-term benefactor named Nadezhda von Meck, which helps with finances. Then comes Eugene Onegin and the Fourth Symphony. In the 4th, his themes go between two keys: Cb and B. Pianists don’t see much of a difference between them, but string players sure do, those sharps will sound brighter.
“A melody can never appear in my head without its harmony. Both these musical elements, together with the rhythm, can never be separated from each other. That is, every melodic idea carries its own implicit harmony, and is unfailingly furnished with its own rhythmic structure.” “Sometimes one has to do oneself violence, be merciless and cruel to oneself, that is, cut off completely bits that had been conceived with love and inspiration.”
Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings gets its effect from “using extensive double-stopping in violins and violas to create a towering structure of sound.” In the 1812 Overture, La Marseillaise is used to depict the Battle of Borodino. The cannon shots are there to depict the turning point of the battle. Mr. T’s Manfred Symphony is his only work w/o a number. He reads every night before sleep, and spends a lot of time in Kamenka in the Ukraine. His two favorite British authors are Dickens and Thackeray. He composes for five to six hours per day. Then comes Symphony #5, the string sextet Souvenir de Florence, and then the Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker is a relief after the Ballbreaker (his wife). Then comes Sleeping Beauty. Mr. T’s tour of the United States gets him more adoration and more response than he ever got in Russia. The Nutcracker Suite injures the success of the full ballet. The Kuznetsov portrait of Tchaikovsky is the only portrait he posed for and is considered the best likeness. Symphony #6 has a second movement in a rare 5/4. In those days, 5/4 was called “a limping waltz”. Symphony #6 is also the only symphony to end in a minor key. Written at the end of his life, it is musical defiance in the face of death.
In the end, Tchaikovsky is considered Russia’s most successful composer (especially at Christmas). The tsar said of him at his funeral, “We have many dukes and barons, but only one Tchaikovsky.” The best place to get a feel for life in Tchaikovsky-era tsarist Russia today, is St. Petersburg, the ‘Venice’ of the North with its 30 islands, almost 350 bridges, and 60 rivers and canals. Stalin removed a lot of the cool tsarist stuff from Moscow, so old Moscow today is basically St. Basil’s Cathedral and the walled Kremlin. Before reading this book, I had no idea that my three favorite Piano Concerti of all time, with the most beautiful melodies (Tchaikovsky #1, Saints-Saens #2, and Rachmaninoff #2), were both written by two gay men and a straight guy. For me, all three sound so achingly romantic. I thought the Nutcracker was so perfect, I bought an orchestral celeste just to play the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Good book.
His Andante Cantabile from the First Quartet was his next masterpiece; its elegiac beauty made Tolstoy cry. T’s amazing First Piano Concerto was ripped apart by critics at first; proof that critics should go screw themselves before they screw others. He was accused of stealing from others, which hurt him deeply. In response, he said, “I shall not change a single note!” For this reason, he had it premiered in the US, far away from the nasty Russian critics. Fourteen years later, Mr. T changed its opening chords to the super dramatic way it starts today. My mother was a concert pianist who played with Eugene Ormandy and I can never forget listening to her practice that piece with full intensity while I’d be doing my homework as a kid.
Bizet died thinking Carmen was a failure. Of it, Mr. T wrote, “This music has no pretensions to profundity, but it is so charming in its simplicity, so vigorous, not contrived but instead sincere, that I learned all of it from beginning to end almost by heart.” Then he writes Swan Lake after Symphony #3. As a professor he stands out because the teachers around him are chasing after their female students, while Tchaikovsky preferred his male students. Then comes his Marche Slav which is adored. Unabashed war music always gets theoretically Christian people all a flutter. Mr. T marries, a super dumb idea that quickly becomes a life-long regret. He frequents male prostitutes. He gets a long-term benefactor named Nadezhda von Meck, which helps with finances. Then comes Eugene Onegin and the Fourth Symphony. In the 4th, his themes go between two keys: Cb and B. Pianists don’t see much of a difference between them, but string players sure do, those sharps will sound brighter.
“A melody can never appear in my head without its harmony. Both these musical elements, together with the rhythm, can never be separated from each other. That is, every melodic idea carries its own implicit harmony, and is unfailingly furnished with its own rhythmic structure.” “Sometimes one has to do oneself violence, be merciless and cruel to oneself, that is, cut off completely bits that had been conceived with love and inspiration.”
Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings gets its effect from “using extensive double-stopping in violins and violas to create a towering structure of sound.” In the 1812 Overture, La Marseillaise is used to depict the Battle of Borodino. The cannon shots are there to depict the turning point of the battle. Mr. T’s Manfred Symphony is his only work w/o a number. He reads every night before sleep, and spends a lot of time in Kamenka in the Ukraine. His two favorite British authors are Dickens and Thackeray. He composes for five to six hours per day. Then comes Symphony #5, the string sextet Souvenir de Florence, and then the Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker is a relief after the Ballbreaker (his wife). Then comes Sleeping Beauty. Mr. T’s tour of the United States gets him more adoration and more response than he ever got in Russia. The Nutcracker Suite injures the success of the full ballet. The Kuznetsov portrait of Tchaikovsky is the only portrait he posed for and is considered the best likeness. Symphony #6 has a second movement in a rare 5/4. In those days, 5/4 was called “a limping waltz”. Symphony #6 is also the only symphony to end in a minor key. Written at the end of his life, it is musical defiance in the face of death.
In the end, Tchaikovsky is considered Russia’s most successful composer (especially at Christmas). The tsar said of him at his funeral, “We have many dukes and barons, but only one Tchaikovsky.” The best place to get a feel for life in Tchaikovsky-era tsarist Russia today, is St. Petersburg, the ‘Venice’ of the North with its 30 islands, almost 350 bridges, and 60 rivers and canals. Stalin removed a lot of the cool tsarist stuff from Moscow, so old Moscow today is basically St. Basil’s Cathedral and the walled Kremlin. Before reading this book, I had no idea that my three favorite Piano Concerti of all time, with the most beautiful melodies (Tchaikovsky #1, Saints-Saens #2, and Rachmaninoff #2), were both written by two gay men and a straight guy. For me, all three sound so achingly romantic. I thought the Nutcracker was so perfect, I bought an orchestral celeste just to play the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Good book.
January 29, 2023
It is very well researched with lots of detail one doesn't find elsewhere. That said, the story of his life is a bit depressing, although that is not the fault of the author.
December 31, 2022
Whereas Suchet’s biography of Beethoven, which I read a couple of years ago, was clearly a labour of love, his approach to this overview of Tchaikovsky’s life yields less exuberant results. Suchet correctly intuits that the composer’s inner turmoil and hugely emotive music are inseparable, but in pursuing this line he gets hung up on Tchaikovsky’s sexuality (he uses the word “gay” once and the faintly pejorative “homosexual” the rest of the time). He warns the reader upfront that he needs must confront Tchaikovsky’s pederasty, then dances awkwardly around the subject. More curiously still, he is dismissive of much of the music, at one point suggesting that the orchestral piece The Tempest has “fallen out of the repertoire” (I can think of at least a dozen recordings off the top of my head). On the plus side, Suchet’s prose style is accessible, and from a production quality perspective, the hardback copy I read is gorgeously designed and copiously illustrated.
February 19, 2025
This was a great biography, well written, with so many great quotes from Tchaikovsky’s letters which were an invaluable look into the man himself.
January 12, 2024
The take away for me is that Tchaikovsky wrote so many pieces that he worked hard on and loved, which were unloved by the public and performed once and fell out of repertoire or performed for a short time before falling out of repertoire. Of course, we know about all the successes but it seems like there were many more failures and yet he worked on. Inspiring.
February 17, 2023
After reading The Violin Conspiracy, I was reminded of how little I know of Tchaikovsky--he was Russian and he wrote the 1812 Overture and The Nutcracker Suite. So I decided to read John Suchet's book to learn something.
This is a "light" biography of 288 pages with minimal musical analysis. Unlike great biographies, this book does not evoke very vividly the milieu of Tchaikovsky's world. And yet it is a good introduction, and that's what I was after. I had no idea that Tchaikovsky was homosexual, which has resulted in significant censorship of his correspondence and other personal documents, making life difficult for biographers. I had no idea that there are significant questions surrounding his death. Maybe someday I'll read a more in-depth biography. If nothing else, reading this book has got me to listening to some Tchaikovsky, and that has been a good thing.
This is a "light" biography of 288 pages with minimal musical analysis. Unlike great biographies, this book does not evoke very vividly the milieu of Tchaikovsky's world. And yet it is a good introduction, and that's what I was after. I had no idea that Tchaikovsky was homosexual, which has resulted in significant censorship of his correspondence and other personal documents, making life difficult for biographers. I had no idea that there are significant questions surrounding his death. Maybe someday I'll read a more in-depth biography. If nothing else, reading this book has got me to listening to some Tchaikovsky, and that has been a good thing.
November 12, 2019
According to author Suchet, the key to understanding Russian composer Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky is his (homo)sexual lifestyle. Almost every page contains some disturbing revelation about Tchaikovsky's encounters and interactions with the other men in his life. (And Suchet assures us that the composer's brother Modest, as well as Soviet authorities, have airbrushed the details of his life; further revelations may be forthcoming...) To my way of thinking, this emphasis on sexual activity detracts from the graceful writing and fairly rounded portrait of the composer that emerges on these pages. -- Suchet concludes the book with a bit of travelogue: he chronicles his visits to various sites in Russia associated with the composer, along with questions of his sexuality (usually skimmed over by the museum staff he talks with) and the mystery connected to Tchaikovsky's death. Suchet believes it may have been suicide (Tchaikovsky died of cholera after drinking unboiled water) or a sort of Russian roulette. Thankfully, he does not subscribe to the 'court of honor'-demanded poisoning that seems to be in vogue with many Tchaikovsky scholars these days. -- Reader beware!
March 12, 2026
If you love any of Tchaikovsky’s music like Swan Lake or The Nutcracker, I 100% recommend this read. This book has been largely eye-opening to me to get a glimpse into the personal life of the troubled and chaotic life of Tchaikovsky. It was uncomfortable seeing his attraction to *gulp* young boys and frustrating with some of his decisions. Yet his personal turmoil fueled his masterpieces in music. I went from worshipping Tchaikovsky to holding a fond respect for his works without idolizing him. Distancing myself from too much appreciation for him but admiring the work he was able to make.
It does beg the question, can you still admire the producer and his work even with his disreputable reputation?
It does beg the question, can you still admire the producer and his work even with his disreputable reputation?
February 10, 2025
I’ve always been enamoured by the music of Tchaikovsky and after having studied music at university to become a musician myself, his repertoire became something familiar. I knew much less about the man himself except the widely circulated facts and anecdotes so was excited to go in depth.
For starters his family tree is huge and interesting in and of that the fact that 2 of his nieces were married to Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov!!
I loved the addition of pictures - old and new - of the places he visited/lived.
All of the xcerpts weaved into the writing from actual letters from Tchaikovsky to various members of his friends and family and their replies in return.
I had no idea that Mozart meant so much to him and wish that had been expanded on.
Huge fan of footnotes as always!
Per his sexuality- it’s quite lovely in a way how accepting many people were about homosexuality at this time. Tchaikovsky’s and his brother Modest’s homosexuality was almost protected by their family and they wanted them to be happy - in Tchaikovsky’s case they really didn’t want him to get married to a woman to cover up any possible notion that he was gay. As the author says, the discussion about homosexuality today is still taboo if not more so.
His attraction to strong women is an interesting one - I feel it’s linked to his relationship with his mother, her personality and how devastated he was by her passing. He looks to authoritative women for ‘guidance’ although it usually turns to controlling behaviour (both negatively and positively received with Antonina and Nadezha von Meck).
He is quite a remarkable composer in that he was able to produce spectacular and moving pieces (1812 Overture) because it was what was required or asked of him even if he couldn’t see the merit in the compositions himself. The artistry that requires - to be so comfortable and content in your own ability in your field - is truly astonishing. Completely in awe of that achievement alone.
I have learned so much about a composer whose music I love so much and have admired for a long time - most shockingly that he was married and tried to kill himself to name but a few.
As brilliant as the above is, there were a few things I didn’t like. First being the hardback version I was gifted has a sleeve which I HATE! Not content but still annoying. I also found the pages too thick and I was constantly checking if I’d turned two or more together.
The main things were the antisemitism and his attraction to young boys. A lot of the relationships he formed with boys were uncomfortable to read due to the very obvious age gap and the way Tchaikovsky seemed unbothered, if not spurred on, by the fact. He does repeatedly say that it’s a curse, a compulsion but knows and enjoys the act of pedophelia. I’m also very suspicious of his relationship with his favourite nephew (who was also gay) and how infatuated he was with him.
For starters his family tree is huge and interesting in and of that the fact that 2 of his nieces were married to Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov!!
I loved the addition of pictures - old and new - of the places he visited/lived.
All of the xcerpts weaved into the writing from actual letters from Tchaikovsky to various members of his friends and family and their replies in return.
I had no idea that Mozart meant so much to him and wish that had been expanded on.
Huge fan of footnotes as always!
Per his sexuality- it’s quite lovely in a way how accepting many people were about homosexuality at this time. Tchaikovsky’s and his brother Modest’s homosexuality was almost protected by their family and they wanted them to be happy - in Tchaikovsky’s case they really didn’t want him to get married to a woman to cover up any possible notion that he was gay. As the author says, the discussion about homosexuality today is still taboo if not more so.
His attraction to strong women is an interesting one - I feel it’s linked to his relationship with his mother, her personality and how devastated he was by her passing. He looks to authoritative women for ‘guidance’ although it usually turns to controlling behaviour (both negatively and positively received with Antonina and Nadezha von Meck).
He is quite a remarkable composer in that he was able to produce spectacular and moving pieces (1812 Overture) because it was what was required or asked of him even if he couldn’t see the merit in the compositions himself. The artistry that requires - to be so comfortable and content in your own ability in your field - is truly astonishing. Completely in awe of that achievement alone.
I have learned so much about a composer whose music I love so much and have admired for a long time - most shockingly that he was married and tried to kill himself to name but a few.
As brilliant as the above is, there were a few things I didn’t like. First being the hardback version I was gifted has a sleeve which I HATE! Not content but still annoying. I also found the pages too thick and I was constantly checking if I’d turned two or more together.
The main things were the antisemitism and his attraction to young boys. A lot of the relationships he formed with boys were uncomfortable to read due to the very obvious age gap and the way Tchaikovsky seemed unbothered, if not spurred on, by the fact. He does repeatedly say that it’s a curse, a compulsion but knows and enjoys the act of pedophelia. I’m also very suspicious of his relationship with his favourite nephew (who was also gay) and how infatuated he was with him.
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March 27, 2022Looking at his early life, demeanor, and appearance, one wouldn't expect much at all from him. A shy sensitive boy. People so seldom know how to identify genius which originates from the heart and the mind, looking instead on the outward.
One would expect a weak, uncertain, faint tune. When faced with the scale of his compositions the effect is demolishing, humbling. As if gravity suddenly became 10 times stronger.
How curious that some of his works that he was least excited about and would give very little credit to were some of his best well-received and longest living ones. Even geniuses are susceptible to seeing things out of focus through the lens of their own experience and values.
"Musical ideas came to him in melody, harmony, and rhythm at one inseparable"!
What a timeless inspiration to our people.
One would expect a weak, uncertain, faint tune. When faced with the scale of his compositions the effect is demolishing, humbling. As if gravity suddenly became 10 times stronger.
How curious that some of his works that he was least excited about and would give very little credit to were some of his best well-received and longest living ones. Even geniuses are susceptible to seeing things out of focus through the lens of their own experience and values.
"Musical ideas came to him in melody, harmony, and rhythm at one inseparable"!
What a timeless inspiration to our people.
July 20, 2019
A thorough and clearly well-researched biography of Tchaikovsky, which doesn't avoid the more questionable aspects of his life. More information had been released by the Russian state than for previous books, so John Suchet had more material to work from, resulting in an entertaining and informative book. Having read another book about the composer that went into great detail about the technical aspects of his music (and went a bit over my head), my only criticism of this one is that there is little discussion of the compositions other than when he produced them and the reactions to performances by critics, associates and the public. But then this is more about his life and how it influenced his work, rather than being a critical study.
December 6, 2025
I picked this up after listening to a history podcast episode on Tchaikovsky. As his is a household name, I was nominally familiar with a handful of his works, but as I have no particular background in classical music that was really the extent of my awareness, so the podcast piqued my curiosity to learn more. Though there was something sort of irritating initially about author's writing style, within a few chapters I got used to it and could focus on the content, which was, alas, a life of angst and emotional torment, punctuated by regrettably brief interludes of peace and contentment. Overall, this feels like a well-rounded, detailed biography and gives what appears to be a faithful, well-rounded account of his life and arguably mysterious death.
February 13, 2020
Suchet’s biography provides a great overview of Tchaikovsky’s life. It is written for a general audience, and the sections discussing his musical compositions are not taxing to read for non-musicians (like me). My only complaint is that, at times, Suchet focuses on Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality to the exclusion of his musical compositions. I understand that the author’s argument is that, in order to understand Tchaikovsky we must understand his sexuality, but, at times, this focus detracted from time the author could have spent discussing his compositions. All in all, however, a solid introduction to one of Russia’s finest composers.
October 26, 2023
This was an excellent read for me and a good biographical introduction to Tchiaikovsky. Can be enjoyed by music lovers as well as musicians, though I would guess it is geared more to music lovers rather than professionals. I appreciate the sympathetic portrait of the great composer (vs the Bowers Scriabin biography - which fails against this work on every account save for the extensive details). Recommend as a first read on the composer. Also of note, many photographs from throughout the composers life.
November 12, 2019
A fantastic overview of the great Russian composer, but John Suchet could have cut back just a tiny bit on the woe-is-me nature of Tchaikovsky's personal life...it can become annoyingly repetitive at times. That said, the only other issue I have with this book is that it is presented as more of a coffee-table volume, and I'm not sure the format does it any favours. The only thing it really does it to make it a physically awkward read.
January 4, 2025
So well-written! As I have noticed with other non-fiction books written by journalists, very readable— almost fiction-like in nature.
Tchaikovsky was the OG “separate the art from the artist” evidently. I applaud the author for including what was censored for a long time, and also criticizing the immoral behaviors of the composer from the beginning, while still making him human, and even likable.
Tchaikovsky was the OG “separate the art from the artist” evidently. I applaud the author for including what was censored for a long time, and also criticizing the immoral behaviors of the composer from the beginning, while still making him human, and even likable.
September 30, 2018
I have loved all of John Suchet's composer biographies. He makes the stories of their lives, and how this influenced their work, very accessible. No jargon and not academic, anyone with an interest in the composer could access and enjoy this biography. The book itself is beautiful, with plentiful colour photographs. Can't wait for the next one, fingers crossed it might be Brahms.
January 9, 2026
A comprehensive and engaging biography that tells the story of Tchaikovsky's complicated and tortured life in a way that very much places you in his experience. Suchet pulls on as many first, second, etc. hand sources to deliver an emotional, honest, and nuanced analysis of one of, if not the greatest, composers of all time.
January 3, 2023
The author spends way more time on Tchaikovsky’s homosexuality than on his music. My guess is that most readers (this one, anyway) are most interested in his training, teaching, playing, and above all, composing.
August 19, 2019
The Man Revealed - an excellent title
Well worth reading for a thoroughly researched book on this enigmatic, but wonderful composer. A real gem of a book!
Well worth reading for a thoroughly researched book on this enigmatic, but wonderful composer. A real gem of a book!
November 24, 2019
An intimate biography of a magnificent, and magnificently troubled, composer. One can feel the anguish in both Tchaikovsky’s works and Suchet’s prose.
December 21, 2020
Excellent well written
June 6, 2021
As always a very well written biography by John Suchet.
August 25, 2021
Brilliant biographical style, truly engaging, and informative without being drier than the Sahara. Very good.
September 27, 2021
As always with Suchet a phenomenal book about a gifted but troubled man. A remarkable recorded life of Tchaikovsky with all his flaws and foibles, one of which was the cruelty of Tchaikovsky to his wife, Antonina Miliukova. Suchet rightly points out that Tchaikovsky knew what he was getting into when he married her and yet he still went ahead and made her miserable and needlessly himself. Although Tchaikovsky felt compelled to marry a woman to disguise his homosexuality, nevertheless, he should not have married a woman under false pretenses. It would have been hard for him anyway to have married a woman when he so harshly dealt with and loathed the women whom were his students. Indeed the only women he could tolerate were close relatives, but only when they didn't show any weakness of character. He was as harsh to his sister and her daughter as he was his women students when both became ill and addicted to morphine. His attraction to young boys and indeed his nephew does make for uncomfortable reading. How far he took this attraction will not be known for some time as many of his letters are still censored. There is much to be read and to be interested in a complex and complicated man. One would well wonder what kind of result Tchaikovsky may have had in the music sphere if he had not had the early traumas that he experienced. How exactly his parents could justify whisking away his beloved governess/nurse without a goodbye nor an explanation to a child as emotionally strung as he was...whether it was because his parents didn't know anything about him or didn't treat him with due consideration. That aside, the book is a very well written and enjoyable read.
June 26, 2022
Tchaikovsky's life was utterly fascinating. I read this book at a glacial pace, savoring the diverse eras of T's life as told so eloquently by Mr. Suchet, while listening to his powerful and profound symphonies. This experience took me to wildly different states of mind and emotion, places so enriching it compelled me to read even slower. I enjoyed T's music before, but after reading this biography, I am utterly in awe of both his art and, perhaps more importantly, the man who created it. Although T was a conflicted man and, at times, perpetrated inexcusable acts, his concertos and symphonies (I'm not much into Opera or Ballets) are a marvel I will now enjoy on a more meaningful level for the rest of my days. I am so pleased I took the time to savor this opportunity to experience the entirety of Tchaikovsky's life. Mr. Suchet, thank you for arranging this wonderful feast of a tortured human soul.
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