This week we mark the birthday of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who was born in Russia on May 7, 1840 and died suddenly at age 53. As WRTI’s Susan Lewis reports, the composer - internationally renowned for his great melodies - was also a master of technique and form. His body of work includes major works for the ballet, opera, and orchestra, as well as chamber music, concertos, sacred music, piano music, and solo songs.
TchaikovskySLLF.mp3
Learn more about Tchaikovsky’s life and music. Listen to Susan Lewis' interview with Jeffrey Kallberg, associate dean for arts and letters and professor of music history at the University of Pennsylvania.