Gemma New Credit Anthony Chang Photo: supplied
The Russian composer’s death at the age of 53 came as a shock and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his fatal illness, coupled with the tragic tone of his last symphony produced a mystique about the composer’s last days that still lingers today. Did he die from cholera-infected water? Could it have been suicide? Or was it the result of a broken heart?
There is no documented evidence that Tchaikovsky was depressed while writing his Sixth Symphony. If anything, his letters prove the opposite. He wrote to his nephew Vladimir Davydov about the symphony, saying, “I absolutely consider it to be the best, and in particular, the most sincere of all my creations. I love it as I have never loved any of my other musical offspring.”
- Adagio – Allegro non troppo
- Allegro con grazia
- Allegro molto vivace
- Finale: Adagio lamentoso
Photo: Public Domain
Any listener can’t help but be struck by the overwhelming, intense, dark emotions Tchaikovsky captures and expresses in the Sixth.
Recorded 29 August 2020, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw
Engineer: Darryl Stack
