Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake, symphonies
The great Russian melodist and the composer who made ballet a serious art form. Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty are the foundation of the ballet repertoire. The last three symphonies burn with an emotional intensity that borders on autobiography.
Key works
- Swan Lake1877— The supreme Romantic ballet
- Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique"1893— Completed nine days before his death
- Eugene Onegin1879— Pushkin's novel as lyric opera