Es verdad que hay excepciones, pero con frecuencia los grandes artistas, muchos de los verdaderos genios, han de encarar dificultades, materiales o
espirituales, en lucha con las cuales se desarrolla su actividad creadora. La vida del aventurero a quien dedico esta entrada,
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, estuvo
marcada por profundos conflictos interiores. Sensible, tímido, padeció fuertes depresiones que le llevaron a intentar el suicidio, y tal vez a consumarlo con su
muerte. Pese a sus anhelos, no logró entablar una relación amorosa plena y satisfactoria en ninguno de sus intentos.
Su esfuerzo creador supo construir una obra en la que el equilibrio de lo clásico se une a la transmisión de unas emociones intensas, vívidas, hechas de sus propios sufrimientos. En algunos casos nos lo dice explícitamente, como en la cuarta sinfonía: "los cuatro movimientos simbolizan la lucha del hombre con su destino". Otras veces, calla: "es un enigma; traten los demás de descifrarlo", dice, a propósito del significado de la sexta sinfonía, "Patética", su testamento musical. No solo nos inspira emociones trágicas y melancólicas; en su obra encontramos también remansos, quizá nostalgias de una paz interior anhelada, e incluso composiciones llenas de compases alegres, como en las danzas de "El Cascanueces".
Su esfuerzo creador supo construir una obra en la que el equilibrio de lo clásico se une a la transmisión de unas emociones intensas, vívidas, hechas de sus propios sufrimientos. En algunos casos nos lo dice explícitamente, como en la cuarta sinfonía: "los cuatro movimientos simbolizan la lucha del hombre con su destino". Otras veces, calla: "es un enigma; traten los demás de descifrarlo", dice, a propósito del significado de la sexta sinfonía, "Patética", su testamento musical. No solo nos inspira emociones trágicas y melancólicas; en su obra encontramos también remansos, quizá nostalgias de una paz interior anhelada, e incluso composiciones llenas de compases alegres, como en las danzas de "El Cascanueces".
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| Retrato de Tchaikovsky |
Aunque llegó a ser un compositor consagrado y conoció el triunfo, no faltaron objeciones a su obra, entre ellas el rechazo inicial de los compositores nacionalistas rusos del
"Grupo de los Cinco", que le tildaban de"occidentalista". También recibieron críticas algunas piezas concretas:Nikolai Rubinstein criticó agriamente la primera versión
del Concierto nº 1 para piano y orquesta, y la "Patética" fue recibida con frialdad en su estreno, una semana antes de la muerte de su autor.
Para este homenaje, acompaño mi dibujo con el inicio del primer movimiento del ya citado " Concierto nº 1 para piano y orquesta", cuyos impresionantes compases se espera en vano volver a escuchar: contrariamente a lo acostumbrado, no se retorna a ellos en el resto de la obra. Al piano, Yevgueni Ígoreivitch Kisin.
Para este homenaje, acompaño mi dibujo con el inicio del primer movimiento del ya citado " Concierto nº 1 para piano y orquesta", cuyos impresionantes compases se espera en vano volver a escuchar: contrariamente a lo acostumbrado, no se retorna a ellos en el resto de la obra. Al piano, Yevgueni Ígoreivitch Kisin.
Pilgrims in human endeavour (IX): Tchaikovsky
Only few of the great artists have a smooth life; most geniuses have to overcome a lot of difficulties, both material and spiritual, to develop their artistic creation. This is also the case of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the pilgrim I dedicate this entry to. His life was marked by deep interior conflicts. He was a very sensitive man who never had a fulfilling love relationship and had to cope with an interior debate, a struggle with himself. Thus, he suffered from severe depressions and tried to commit suicide. His death circumstances are not completely clear yet, so he might finally have succeded in.
Despite these impediments, his creative effort built a collection of works, whose balanced classic compositions transmit intense, vivid emotions, drawing on his own sufferings. In some cases he tells us explicitly; for instance, he commentates on his Fourth Symphony: "its four movements symbolise the man's struggle with his destiny". Other times, he keeps silent: "it is an enigma; let others try to figure it out", he says regarding the Sixth Symphony, "Pathetic", his musical last legacy. Anyway, he does not only inspire us with tragic and melancholy emotions. We also find mental calm in many of his pieces, maybe originated in his hankering after inner peace. Furthermore, some of his compositions are full of merry, cheer notes, as in some dances of The Nutcracker suite.
He succeded and was acknowledged as a composer. However, his works also met a lot of criticism. For example, the nationalistic group of Russian composers known as "The Five" accused him of westernization and initially reproved is music. Moreover, some specific pieces were misjudged and extensivenly scolded. Nikolai Rubinstein bitterly criticised the first version of the Concert nº 1 for Piano and Orchestra, and the "Pathetic" sixth symphony got a cold reception in the premiere, just one week before the death of the autor.
In this homage, I accompany my drawing with the beginning of the first movement of the already mentioned "Concert nº 1 for Piano and Orchestra", whose impressing chords are neither repeated nor evoked along the rest of the concert, something really unusual. Yevgueni Ígoreivitch Kisin plays the piano.
Only few of the great artists have a smooth life; most geniuses have to overcome a lot of difficulties, both material and spiritual, to develop their artistic creation. This is also the case of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the pilgrim I dedicate this entry to. His life was marked by deep interior conflicts. He was a very sensitive man who never had a fulfilling love relationship and had to cope with an interior debate, a struggle with himself. Thus, he suffered from severe depressions and tried to commit suicide. His death circumstances are not completely clear yet, so he might finally have succeded in.
Despite these impediments, his creative effort built a collection of works, whose balanced classic compositions transmit intense, vivid emotions, drawing on his own sufferings. In some cases he tells us explicitly; for instance, he commentates on his Fourth Symphony: "its four movements symbolise the man's struggle with his destiny". Other times, he keeps silent: "it is an enigma; let others try to figure it out", he says regarding the Sixth Symphony, "Pathetic", his musical last legacy. Anyway, he does not only inspire us with tragic and melancholy emotions. We also find mental calm in many of his pieces, maybe originated in his hankering after inner peace. Furthermore, some of his compositions are full of merry, cheer notes, as in some dances of The Nutcracker suite.
He succeded and was acknowledged as a composer. However, his works also met a lot of criticism. For example, the nationalistic group of Russian composers known as "The Five" accused him of westernization and initially reproved is music. Moreover, some specific pieces were misjudged and extensivenly scolded. Nikolai Rubinstein bitterly criticised the first version of the Concert nº 1 for Piano and Orchestra, and the "Pathetic" sixth symphony got a cold reception in the premiere, just one week before the death of the autor.
In this homage, I accompany my drawing with the beginning of the first movement of the already mentioned "Concert nº 1 for Piano and Orchestra", whose impressing chords are neither repeated nor evoked along the rest of the concert, something really unusual. Yevgueni Ígoreivitch Kisin plays the piano.
