When I end up reading two books in a row that take place in the same country in a similar period, I tend to feel less interested in the second one than I might have been otherwise. This was actually the first of two books taking place in pre-revolution Russia, but it's the second one I'm reviewing due to the deadline I had for the review I just posted. I'm feeling disinclined to make the effort to write another review at this point. Tchaikovsky doesn't deserve that treatment. So I'm going to read something completely different and come back to this review later.
6/4/21
I read a contemporary mystery with paranormal elements as a nice change of pace. Ah, that's better!
The book I reviewed before this one contained a Tchaikovsky memorial being planned and constructed during the reign of Nicholas II. (It was not the Tchaikovsky State House-Museum in Klin that is the actual Russian Tchaikovsky memorial. This was a complex that was designed by the architect who was that book's protagonist. See The Fabergé Secret by Charles Belfoure which I reviewed here.) So in some ways, it felt like a sequel to Pyotr by Steve Moretti and Paul van Geldrop. I received an ARC of Pyotr from Steve Moretti and I'm reviewing it voluntarily.
Pyotr contains elements of non-fiction biography and analysis as well as fictional scenes. I remember reading a novel about the Russian aviator, Lilya Litvyak, that had considerable documentation included in the text. So I called it a docunovel. See my review of Call Sign: White Lily here. It seems to me that Pyotr is another docunovel. So perhaps docunovel can be considered a book category.
I am a lover of Russian classical music. My favorite is the 20th century composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. (See his article on Wikipedia here.)Tchaikovsky would definitely be second for me, but I would still consider Tchaikovsky a great composer. When I was a child his 1812 Overture was one of the pieces that I listened to constantly on my record player. (That was the musical technology that was available at the time.)
Pyotr tells us that Tchaikovsky met his lover Victor at what we would call a gay bar. Victor said he was willing to support Tchaikovsky while he learned how to compose music.
Tchaikovsky's instructor, Anton Rubenstein, told Tchaikovsky to "reincarnate" Beethoven's music. Tchaikovsky didn't know what that meant or how he could do that. Reincarnation of people involves someone being reborn as a different individual. Some religions believe that reincarnation happens in order to deal with issues that hadn't been dealt with in previous lives. It seems to me that a composer might come to the realization that a piece of music composed by Beethoven hadn't completely addressed its theme. There was more to say about that theme musically. That composer could then write a new piece to deal with that theme more thoroughly. It might then possibly be considered a reincarnation of what was originally a work by Beethoven.
Later when Tchaikovsky had become a composer, he taught students of composition. A student was sent to Tchaikovsky who was a violinist. His name was Iosif. He had started to compose a violin concerto. Tchaikovsky was attracted to Iosif, and was interested in an unusual violin technique that Iosif used. Tchaikovsky and Iosif collaborated on more than one violin concerto. They quarreled and re-united much later. So his feelings for Iosif weren't transient.
My perception is that Tchaikovsky's male lovers were supportive of his work and inspiring. Yet Tchaikovsky struggled with internalized homophobia. He wanted to be married to a woman and be cured of his homosexuality. He did eventually marry, but the marriage didn't work. Tchaikovsky did have a female patron whose financial contributions allowed him to maintain his career.
The Tsar honored Tchaikovsky by making him a member of The Order of St. Vladimir. I am linking to the Wikipedia article about this order. Tchaikovsky is listed as one of the recipients in the article. Andrew Carnegie also honored Tchaikovsky. His music was played at the very first concert at Carnegie Hall in New York.
This book humanized Tchaikovsky by showing us his struggles. I wish that Tchaikovsky could have been born in a time when his homosexuality would have been more accepted.
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