彭蒙惠英语：Tchaikovsky: The Life of a Musical Genius（在线收听）

Tchaikovsky: The Life of a Musical Genius

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Tragedy and turmoil

On June 25, 1854, Peter Tchaikovsky’s mother died of cholera, her 14-year-old son at her side. During this emotional crisis, Peter wrote his first piece of music. Times of emotional turmoil would prove, again and again, to be fruitful times for composition.

After Graduating from the School of Jurisprudence in 1859, Peter became a junior clerk at the Ministry of Justice. Just three years later, he gave up what could have been a lifetime sinecure to enroll in the St. Petersburg Music Conservatory. He received his first official commission, an overture for the marriage of Tsarevich Alexander and Princess Dagmar of Denmark in 1866.

A patron’s support

During the late 1870s, Nadezhda von Meck, widow of a wealthy investor, presented Tchaikovsky with an annuity that allowed him to devote himself entirely to composition.

Von Meck’s annuity launched Tchaikovsky into a manic period of writing. He produced the exquisite Fourth Symphony in record time.

Later years

At its debut in March 1892, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker was a huge hit, but his heart was with his groundbreaking Sixth Symphony, scheduled to debut in October. It was an unusual work, its main three movements followed by a slow, sad adagio. Unfortunately, the Pathétique, a name his brother suggested for the piece, received only lukewarm applause at its premiere. Tchaikovsky was heartsick. Just over a week later, he was dead.

Theories about his death

The popular theory is that he died of cholera after drinking unboiled water. Another theory holds that the composer committed suicide over the perceived failure of Pathétique. The recent discovery of letters between Tchaikovsky’s physician and his brother, which mention suicide, supports this claim. However, the jury is still out.

Meanwhile, Tchaikovsky’s music lives on. Many of his works continue to be recognized as masterpieces of classical music.

Vocabulary Focus

conservatory (n) [kEn5sE:vEtri] a school for the teaching of music or sometimes acting or art

manic (adj) [5meinik] frenzied; very excited or anxious in a way that causes one to be very active

groundbreaking (adj) [5^raund7breikiN] very new and a big change from other things of its type

lukewarm (adj) [5lju:kwC:m] not enthusiastic or interested

the jury is still out (idiom) people do not yet know the answer or have a definite opinion about something

Specialized Terms

sinecure (n) 近于无工作的有薪职位，冗职 a position involving little work, but for which the person is paid

overture (n) 前奏曲，序曲 a piece of music that is an introduction to a longer piece, especially an opera

annuity (n) 年金 a fixed amount of money paid to someone every year, usually until his or her death; or the insurance agreement or investment that provides the money

movement (n) 乐章，速度，拍子 one of the main parts of a piece of classical music that is separated from the other parts with pauses

adagio (n) 慢板，慢板乐章 a composition played slowly and gracefully

柴可夫斯基：音乐才子的一生

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悲剧和混乱

1854年的6月25日，彼得·柴可夫斯基的母亲死于霍乱，她14岁的儿子随侍在侧。在这个情感的危机时期，彼得创作出他的第一首曲子。情感的骚乱将一再地证明是作曲的多产时期。

彼得在1859年从法律学校毕业后，进入司法部成为事务员。仅仅3年之后，他放弃了一个可能成为终身铁饭碗的职位，而进入了圣彼得音乐学院就读。他在1866年因《亚历山大沙皇和丹麦公主黛玛的婚礼序曲》收到了第一份正式的佣金。

赞助者的资助

19世纪70年代末期，一位富有运输商的遗孀，德日达·冯·梅克夫人，提供柴可夫斯基一份年金，好让他专心从事作曲工作。

冯·梅克的年金让柴可夫斯基展开了一段写曲的狂热时期。他在创纪录的时间内谱成了完美的《第四交响曲》。

音乐天才的晚年

柴可夫斯基的《胡桃夹子》于1892年3月首次登台，成为声名大噪的畅销作品；但是他的心思却放在他的突破性代表作，预计10月份登场的《第六交响曲》上。这是一部不寻常的作品，以一个缓慢、悲伤的慢板跟随主要的3个乐章。很遗憾地，曲名来自柴可夫斯基弟弟的《悲怆交响曲》，在初次演出时只得到了稀落的掌声。柴可夫斯基意志消沉。仅仅一个星期之后，他就撒手人寰。

柴可夫斯基之死的揣测

普遍的说法是，柴可夫斯基在饮用了未煮开的水后染上霍乱而死。另一项推测则为，这名音乐大师在感受到《悲怆交响曲》的失败后自杀身亡。一些最近发现的柴可夫斯基之医师和弟弟之间的来往书信中提到了自杀，证实了这个说法。然而，最终的结论一直没有出现。

与此同时，柴可夫斯基的音乐历久弥新。他的许多作品被公认是古典音乐殿堂的不朽杰作。