Public Talks & Performances

Three Composers in and out of Russia: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Pärt

Burlington Public Library, Central Branch, 2331 New St, 2-3PM, April 29

Russia came to the classical music scene late, only joining in the romantic era in the 19th century.  Composers had to find their voice in a scene that was just beginning. Tchaikovsky was a student in the first year of the very first conservatory, negotiating the difficult path of a composer influenced by both the folk music of his country and the European tradition that came before him. All three of these composers struggled and left Russia in some way: Tchaikovsky self-exiled for years, Rachmaninoff left for the U.S.A., and Part’s country of Estonia left the Soviet Union. These composers reached the upper echelons despite the odds against them.