Tchaikovsky: The Man Revealed

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s life – and premature death – has long been mythologised and misunderstood. John Suchet draws back the curtain to show us the real man behind the music. A shy, emotional child, Tchaikovsky came late to composing as a career. Doubting himself at every turn and keenly wounded by criticism, he went on to become one of the world’s best-loved composers. Yet behind the success lay sadness: the death of his mother haunted him all his life, while his incessant attempts to suppress his homosexuality took a huge toll. From his disastrous marriage to his extraordinary relationship with his female patron, his many amorous liaisons and his devotion to friends and family, Suchet shows us how the complexity of Tchaikovsky’s emotional life plays out in his music. Long hidden behind sanitised depictions by his brother and the Russian authorities, Tchaikovsky: The Man Revealed examines the complex and contradictory character of this great artist, and how he came to take his rightful place among the world’s greatest composers.

Table of Contents:
CONTENS; Family Tree ... vi; Author’s Note ... vii; Prologue ... ix; 1 Pyotr, the Fledgling Seagull ... 1; 2 Upheavals and Loss ... 13; 3 An Unbearable Farewell ... 21; 4 Guilt and the Cruellest Loss ... 29; 5 A Difficult Journey ... 39; 6 Pyotr Chooses Music ... 51; 7 Tchaikovsky, Music Teacher ... 63; 8 The Ladies’ Man ... 71; 9 A Most Unlikely Affair ... 79; 10 A Tragic Love ... 89; 11 The Lake of the Swans ... 97; 12 Unexpected Inspiration ... 107; 13 Bending the Rules ... 115; 14 Misery and Defiance ... 123; 15 Swan Lake – and Failure ... 131; 16 In Love – and Alone ... 139; 17 A Woman Enters His Life ... 145; 18 `She Is Repulsive to Me’ ... 157; 19 Fate ... 169; 20 `It Stinks to the Ear’ ... 179; 21 A Sort of Freedom ... 189; 22 The Boulevardier ... 197; 23 An Impenetrable Secret ... 205; 24 A Family Crisis ... 213; 25 A Benefactor Bids `Adieu’ ... 221; 26 On Tour and Unhappy ... 229; 27 A Musical `Adieu’? ... 237; Postscript ... 242; Afterword ... 246; Timeline ... 260; Select Bibliography ... 264; References ... 266; Index ... 270

About the Author :
John Suchet OBE is a bestselling author, journalist, radio and TV presenter. He was the voice of morning radio on Classic FM for almost a decade and before that, he was one of the UK's best-known television journalists and newscasters, regularly presenting ITN's flagship News at Ten for nearly 20 years. A recognised authority on Beethoven, he is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Beethoven: The Man Revealed (2020), as well as biographies of Mozart, Strauss, Verdi and Tchaikovsky.

Review :
An introduction to Verdi as a man rather than as a composer. A book meant to stoke enthusiasm, ideal for someone who has seen a Verdi opera or two and wants to know more.-- (04/25/2019) Suchet is the rare scholar who knows his subject, writes like a dream, and wears his research lightly. This book is handsomely laid out with ample illustrations. Obviously, music lovers will want this volume, but the subject is so lively and the presentation so attractive that it will appeal to all readers who value biography.-- (04/25/2019) As thoughtful and reflective as was the composer himself. Biographical details are interwoven with discussion of his works and musical process, presenting a fine starting point for further exploration. Informative and lucid.-- (04/25/2019)