Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Most popular Russian composer, master of melody
Most quoted
"I am passionately fond of the winter and I find that it has an invigorating effect on me until January; but from that time onwards I find the length of it unbearable."
— from Letter, 1878
"I would like with all the strength of my soul for my music to spread, for the number of people who love it, who find consolation and strength in it, to increase."
— from Letter, 1878
"There is no doubt that even the greatest musical geniuses have sometimes worked without inspiration. This guest does not always respond to the first invitation."
— from Letter, 1878
All quotes by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (387)
My music is my soul laid bare.
I believe in the power of melody.
Music is a journey, not a destination.
I am a romantic at heart.
The artist must be a bridge between worlds.
I am now convinced that I am a genius, but I am also convinced that I am a very bad one.
I have not yet met a single person who is not a fool in some respect.
Truly, I am a composer by the grace of God, but a man by the grace of the devil.
I am a composer, not a sausage-maker.
The ballet is a beautiful thing, but it is also a very silly thing.
I am a man of sorrows, but also a man of great appetite.
My music is like a beautiful woman with a bad temper.
To be a composer is to suffer. To be a successful composer is to suffer even more.
I love the theater, but I hate the audience.
If I were a woman, I would be a very difficult one.
The public is a strange beast. It loves what it doesn't understand.
I am a Russian, and therefore I am a pessimist.
My life is a series of misfortunes, interrupted by moments of genius.
I am not a revolutionary, but I am not a conservative either. I am simply a composer.
The critics are like flies. They buzz around and annoy you, but they can't really hurt you.
Contemporaries of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Other Musics born within 50 years of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893).