"Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy." True words from a man who could be described as many things, but lazy certainly wasn't one of them. Tchaikovsky was a masterful composer whose music spoke from the heart, to the heart. But he was a complicated man too; a troubled soul - and when he was at a low, his inspiration escaped him. Perhaps something many of us can identify with. Here's a few things you might not know about the man who gave the world such delights as the Nutcracker, Swan Lake and the 1812 Overture. 1. Tchaikovsky actually studied law for nine years before deciding on a career in music. 2. Nadezhda von Meck was Tchaikovsky’s most generous patron, supporting him over 14 years. But he never actually met her. 3. The Russian suffered from debilitating depression his entire life. 4. One of his most famous and enduring works, the 1812 Overture, was composed in just one week. 5. Tchaikovsky almost binned the score to his First Piano Concerto after Nikolai Rubinstein called it ‘fragmented, so clumsy, so badly written’ and ‘beyond rescue’. 6. For years, it was thought Tchaikovsky died of cholera from contaminated water, but the theory today is that he committed suicide by taking arsenic after being caught in flagrante with the nephew of a high-ranking official. 7. Tchaikovsky was from a large family – he had four brothers and one sister. 8. Disney has controversially trademarked the name ‘Princess Aurora’, the lead character in Tchaikovsky’s ballet Sleeping Beauty and Disney’s cartoon of the same name. To add insult to injury, Disney used large swathes of Tchaikovsky’s music in its 1959 cartoon. 9. Tchaikovsky supplemented his income with work as a music critic. Schumann’s orchestration skills were a target of his invective, an opinion which puzzlingly still sticks today. 10. The composer was convinced his head would fall off while he was conducting, and would often hold it up with one hand while directing the orchestra with the other. For more great Classical Content visit www.colstonhall.org/classical

1. 10 things you
didn’t know about…
Tchaikovsky
www.colstonhall.org/classical

2. Tchaikovsky studied law for nine years
before deciding on a career in music.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

3. Nadezhda von Meck
was Tchaikovsky’s
most generous patron,
supporting him over 14
years.
He never actually
met her.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

4. The Russian suffered from
debilitating depression
his entire life.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

5. One of
Tchaikovsky’s
most famous
and enduring
works, the
1812 Overture,
was composed
in just one week.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

6. Tchaikovsky almost binned
the score to his First Piano
Concerto after Nikolai
Rubinstein called it
‘fragmented, so clumsy,
so badly written’ and
‘beyond rescue’.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

7. For years, it was thought Tchaikovsky
died of cholera from contaminated
water, but the theory today is that he
committed suicide by
taking arsenic after
being caught in
flagrante with
the nephew of
a high-ranking
official.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

8. Tchaikovsky was from a large family –
he had four brothers and one sister.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

9. Walt Disney controversially
trademarked the name ‘Princess
Aurora’, the lead character in
Tchaikovsky’s ballet Sleeping
Beauty and Disney’s cartoon of
the same name. To add insult to
injury, Disney used large swathes of
Tchaikovsky’s music in its
1959 cartoon.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

10. Tchaikovsky
supplemented
his income with
work as a music
critic. Schumann’s
orchestration skills were
a target of his invective,
an opinion which puzzlingly
still sticks today.www.colstonhall.org/classical

11. The composer
was convinced
his head
would fall off
while he was
conducting,
and would
often hold it
up with one hand while
directing the orchestra
with the other.
www.colstonhall.org/classical

12. www.colstonhall.org/classical
For more great classical content:
www.colstonhall.org/classical