Tchaikovsky was a composer of sublime music, an accomplished fabulist and fantasist whose work was rooted in personal torment. His melodies are exquisite, but the true power of this composer lies in his creativity, his boldness, his sense of inner voice.
In vivid, nontechnical prose keyed to the music on the two accompanying Naxos CDs, author Daniel Felsenfeld guides the reader through some of the "Little Russian's" most beloved works - including the 1812 and Romeo and Juliet Overtures, Nutcracker, Symphonies No.4 and 6, the Serenade for Strings in C Major, and Concerto for Violin - illuminating the edges and fine points of these magical compositions. He invites musical novices and experts alike to experience anew Tchaikovsky's musical universe, "where beauty triumphs, sadness overwhelms, fancy flourishes, and delight is palpable and defiant."