The Secretive Correspondence Between Tchaikovsky And Countess Nadezhda von Meck

WRTI Your Classical and Jazz Source | By Susan Lewis

Published July 22, 2013 at 12:16 PM EDT

1 of 2

Countess von Meck (1831—1894) supported Tchaikovsky for 13 years, but they never met.";

2 of 2

Penn Professor of Music History, Jeffrey Kallberg

As WRTI’s Susan Lewis reports, insights into Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 have come from the composer’s correspondence with a secretive patron.

On Sunday, November 19th, 1 to 3 pm. on WRTI 90.1, The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.

Tchaik5th072213SLLF.mp3

Listen to Susan’s interview with University of Pennsylvania Professor of Music History Jeffrey Kallberg.

Tags

Susan Lewis

Susan writes and produces stories about music and the arts. She’s host and producer of WRTI’s TIME IN online interview series, and contributes weekly intermission interviews for The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert series. She’s also been a regular host of WRTI’s Live from the Performance Studio sessions.

See stories by Susan Lewis

Music Features

The Co-Opting Of Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture'

NPR Staff

Boston Conservatory professor Jan Swafford explains how a piece written to celebrate a Russian war victory became the theme song for American independence.
CD Selections

Mark Pinto Recommends: Tchaikovsky's 4th and 5th Symphonies

Mark Pinto

I admit I approach any new recordings of these, my favorite Tchaikovsky symphonies, with a bit of trepidation. Over the years I’ve encountered one too…