Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Difference between revisions
→Religious views
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{{quote|text=Biblical mythology as a possible programme for a musical work never attracted Tchaikovsky's interest. Epistolary heritage also does not give the reason to suppose that the Bible was the composer's favourite book. Nevertheless, these superficially obvious facts do not settle the question about Tchaikovsky and the Bible. The Bible, together with ancient mythology, forms one of the basic conceptual paradigms of European culture. Its major semantic and psychological constants, such as the linear perception of time as a stream flowing from its source (the Creation) towards the end (the Judgement Day), the fear of Death, the responsibility for deeds (ethical principles), and finally, treating anguish and torments of the indi- vidual as a spiritual feat, are characteristics of practically all the works belonging to the European literature tradition. In particular, these constants may be perceived as peculiar cultural and artistic archetypes in Tchaikovsky's work.|author=Yelena Dyachkova|source=Tchaikovsky and the Bible}} | {{quote|text=Biblical mythology as a possible programme for a musical work never attracted Tchaikovsky's interest. Epistolary heritage also does not give the reason to suppose that the Bible was the composer's favourite book. Nevertheless, these superficially obvious facts do not settle the question about Tchaikovsky and the Bible. The Bible, together with ancient mythology, forms one of the basic conceptual paradigms of European culture. Its major semantic and psychological constants, such as the linear perception of time as a stream flowing from its source (the Creation) towards the end (the Judgement Day), the fear of Death, the responsibility for deeds (ethical principles), and finally, treating anguish and torments of the indi- vidual as a spiritual feat, are characteristics of practically all the works belonging to the European literature tradition. In particular, these constants may be perceived as peculiar cultural and artistic archetypes in Tchaikovsky's work.|author=Yelena Dyachkova|source=Tchaikovsky and the Bible}} | ||
It was in the decade between 1877 and 1887 that Tchaikovsky created most of his spiritual works. This also happened to be a time in which his close friendship with Nikolaj Kondrat'ev and family was under some stress, and they did not visit each other very much. During this time Tchaikovsky thought about existential questions, up to creating his own creed. In 1877 the composer writes: | It was in the decade between 1877 and 1887 that Tchaikovsky created most of his spiritual works. This also happened to be a time in which his close friendship with [[tchaikovsky:Nikolay Kondratyev|Nikolaj Kondrat'ev]] and family was under some stress, and they did not visit each other very much. During this time Tchaikovsky thought about existential questions, up to creating his own creed. In 1877 the composer writes: | ||
{{quote|text=I have forgotten that there are plenty of people who managed to create for themselves an harmonic set of ideas that replaced religion for them. It remains for me only to envy those people. It seems to me that all my life I am doomed to doubt and to look for a way out of contradictions|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky|source=Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 1, p. 111 (letter from Venice, December 5-17, 1877)}} | {{quote|text=I have forgotten that there are plenty of people who managed to create for themselves an harmonic set of ideas that replaced religion for them. It remains for me only to envy those people. It seems to me that all my life I am doomed to doubt and to look for a way out of contradictions|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky|source=Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 1, p. 111 (letter from Venice, December 5-17, 1877)}} | ||