Tchaikovsky: The Man and his Music. This item is unavailable.Tchaikovsky: The Man and his Music

This volume uniquely combines a lively biography of one of the best-loved composers of the 19th century with a detailed chronological guide to much of his oeuvre, from the popular ballets and concertos to lesser known pieces. Brown enthusiastically and sensitively guides the reader through Tchaikovsky's music in the context of his life. His writing on the music is accessible and informative, both for the professional musician and the keen amateur listener. The biographical writing includes fascinating quotations from the composer's letters, and those of his friends; the Tchaikovsky that emerges, despite his periodic struggle with depression, is a man with a very positive attitude to life, and a kind and supportive friend to many around him. This is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Tchaikovsky, his music and the culture of the time.

Comments on Professor Brown's earlier four-volume study on the life and work of Tchaikovsky:

'In any language, it is definitive' Geoffrey Norris, Sunday Telegraph

'A magnificent achievement, and one which can only deepen our appreciation and understanding of this great composer' Hugh Canning, Sunday Times

David Brown is a world authority on both Russian 19th-century music and Tudor polyphony and was Professor of Music at Southampton University, from where he retired as Professor of Musicology in 1989. His books include major works on Glinka, Tchaikovsky (in four volumes), Musorgsky, and the English madrigalist, Thomas Weelkes. He has broadcast frequently.