6. ORCHESTRAL: Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Pathétique (Tchaikovsky) – performed by Yevgeny Mravinsky with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
This is the emotionally charged finale of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s sixth symphony; the complete recording is here. In Russian, its title means “passionate,” but the commonly used French translation Pathétique means “arousing pity.” Tchaikovsky indicated that he wrote this symphony with a program (a specific idea he wished to evoke) in mind, although he did not wish to reveal the program. Specialists have suggested that his intended program was about the power of Fate, mirroring the program for his unfinished Symphony in E flat. Pathétique is Tchaikovsky’s last completed symphony, finished and premiered shortly before his death.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a Russian composer. Although initially employed as a civil servant, he enrolled at the newly established Saint Petersburg Conservatory; his most famous teacher was Anton Rubinstein, the director and founder of the Conservatory. He was a contemporary of The Five, a group of Russian composers (Balakirev, Cui, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Borodin) who actively promoted nationalism by rejecting traditional Western principles and incorporating folk tunes and octatonic scales into their music. Although Tchaikovsky was always ambivalent about The Five, he occasionally collaborated with them and used some of the same nationalistic elements in his music. Many musicologists also believe that his homosexuality strongly influenced his music. On the whole, Tchaikovsky’s compositional range was very broad and varied. Two of his most popular works include the 1812 Overture and Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky died in 1893 from cholera, although some speculate that he actually committed suicide.
Yevgeny Mravinsky (1903-1988) was a Soviet conductor who led the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra to legendary fame. He was especially known for his performances of Russian composers including Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich.
Where Words Leave Off 