Tchaikovsky
Who doesn’t love Tchaikovsky?? He wrote the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and that incredible Violin Concerto! But did you know he had a deep dark secret that Russia has been desperately trying to hide for the past century?
Tchaikovsky was gay!
Okay, so I may have stretched the truth, it wasn’t a deep dark secret. He was actually pretty open with his sexuality! But despite his bravery, he wasn't always comfortable with his identity. He married women to appease social pressures, but all three of those marriages failed.
“I will simply tell you, I have decided to get married. It is unavoidable. I must do it, not just for myself but for you, Modeste, and all those I love. I think that for both of us our dispositions are the greatest and most insuperable obstacle to happiness, and we must fight our natures to the best of our ability.” - Tchaikovsky, in a letter to his brother (also gay)
It broke my heart, reading this. Can you imagine being gay in 19th century Russia?? I can’t even imagine being gay in present day Russia! In fact, Putin actually threatened to imprison anyone calling Tchaikovsky gay. So, as a token of respect and appreciation for Putin, let's celebrate Tchaikovsky's queerness!
This weekend I’ll be playing Tchaikovsky’s 2nd symphony, “Little Russian”, in a benefit concert for Ukraine with the New Bedford Symphony. In the composition of this symphony, Tchaikovsky drew inspiration from three Ukrainian folk songs: "Down by Mother Volga", "Spin, O my Spinner", and "The Crane". Back then, Ukraine was often called "Little Russia", hence the nickname "Little Russian".