Canon
Where to start with Tchaikovsky
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
OrchestralNutcracker, op. 71a — Suite from the ballet
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StageEugene Onegin, op. 24 — Opera
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ChamberPiano Trio in A minor, op. 50, "In Memory of a Great Artist"
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KeyboardThe Seasons, op. 37b
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Vocal'Tis Not the Cuckoo in the Damp Pinewood
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OrchestralPiano Concerto no. 1 in B flat minor, op. 23
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OrchestralRomeo and Juliet — Fantasy overture
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OrchestralSymphony no. 4 in F minor, op. 36
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OrchestralSymphony no. 5 in E minor, op. 64
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OrchestralThe Swan Lake, op. 20a — Suite from the ballet
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OrchestralViolin Concerto in D major, op. 35
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Orchestral1812 Festival Overture, in E flat major, op. 49
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OrchestralCapriccio Italien, op. 45
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OrchestralSlavonic March, op. 31
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OrchestralFrancesca da Rimini in E minor, op. 32 — Symphonic fantasy
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Tchaikovsky's catalogueMost Popular
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Swan Lake (ballet)
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The Nutcracker (ballet)
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1812 Overture
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Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor
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Symphony No. 6 ”Pathétique”
Most Acclaimed
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Symphony No. 6 ”Pathétique”
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Violin Concerto in D major
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String Sextet ”Souvenir de Florence”
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Eugene Onegin (opera)
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The Queen of Spades (opera)
Most Weird
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Symphony No. 6 ”Pathétique” — finalethe only major symphony to end with a slow, dying movement; he died 9 days after conducting the premiere; the ending is one of the great mysteries of music
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Manfred Symphonyhis longest symphony — after Byron’s doomed wanderer; four movements of overwhelming drama; almost never performed
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The Tempest (fantasy overture)one of his most harmonically adventurous pieces
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Symphony No. 6 — first movementthe exposition is in B minor, the recapitulation in B major — structurally unprecedented
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Serenade for Strings in C majorhis most underrated work — the waltz second movement and the finale are extraordinary
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 150
- Orchestral
- ● Nutcracker, op. 71a — Suite from the ballet
- ● Piano Concerto no. 1 in B flat minor, op. 23
- ● Romeo and Juliet — Fantasy overture
- ● Symphony no. 4 in F minor, op. 36
- ● Symphony no. 5 in E minor, op. 64
- ● The Swan Lake, op. 20a — Suite from the ballet
- ● Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35
- ● 1812 Festival Overture, in E flat major, op. 49
- ● Capriccio Italien, op. 45
- ● Slavonic March, op. 31
- Francesca da Rimini in E minor, op. 32 — Symphonic fantasy
- Manfred Symphony in B minor, op. 58
- Piano Concerto no. 3 in E flat major, op. post.75
- Serenade for Strings in C major, op. 48
- Symphony no. 2 in C minor, op. 17, "Little Russian"
- Symphony no. 6 in B minor, op. 74, "Pathétique"
- Variations on a Rococo Theme, for cello and orchestra in A major, op. 33
- Andante and Finale for Piano and Orchestra, op. 79
- Concert Fantasia for Piano and Orchestra in G major, op. 56
- Elegy, for string orchestra in G, "In Memory of Ivan Samarin"
- Fatum, op. post. 77
- Festival Coronation March
- Festival Overture on the Danish National Hymn, op. 15
- Final Waltz and Apotheosis
- Hamlet, in F minor, op. 67 — Fantasy overture
- Jurists' March in D
- Majestic March
- Nocturne for Cello and Orchestra
- None But the Lonely Heart
- Overture in F
- Pezzo capriccioso for cello and orchestra in B minor, op. 62
- Piano Concerto no. 2 in G major, op. 44
- Polonaise
- Serenade in D
- Suite no. 1, in D minor, op. 43
- Suite no. 2, in C, op. 53, "Charactéristique"
- Suite no. 3, in G major, op. 55
- Suite no. 4, op. 61, "Mozartiana"
- Symphony no. 1 in G minor, op. 13, "Winter Dreams"
- Symphony no. 3 in D major, op. 29, "Polish"
- Sérénade mélancolique in B flat minor, op. 26
- Sérénade mélancolique, for violin and orchestra in B minor, op. 26
- The Sleeping Beauty, op. 66a — Suite from the ballet
- The Storm, op. 76
- The Tempest, in F minor, op. 18 — Fantasy overture
- The Voyevoda Op.78
- Valse-Scherzo, op. 34
- Valse-scherzo, for violin and orchestra in C major, op. 34
- Waltz
- Stage
- Eugene Onegin, op. 24 — Opera
- Pique Dame, op. 68 — Opera
- Cherevichki — Opera
- Dmitri the Pretender and Vasily Shuysky — Incidental music
- Hamlet for soprano, baritone, and orchestra, op. 67a — Incidental music
- Iolanta, op. 69 — Opera
- Mazeppa — Opera
- Nutcracker, op. 71 — Ballet
- The Maid of Orléans — Opera
- The Oprichnik — Opera
- The Sleeping Beauty, op. 66 — Ballet
- The Snow Maiden, op. 12
- The Sorceress — Opera
- The Swan Lake, op. 20 — Ballet
- The Voyevoda, op. 3 — Opera
- Undine
- Chamber
- Piano Trio in A minor, op. 50, "In Memory of a Great Artist"
- Souvenir de Florence, for string sextet or string orchestra in D major, op. 70
- 4 Movements for String Quartet
- Nocturne, for cello and small orchestra in D minor, op. 19, no. 4
- Souvenir d'un lieu cher, for violin and piano, op. 42
- String Quartet in B flat major
- String Quartet no. 1 in D major, op. 11
- String Quartet no. 2 in F major, op. 22
- String Quartet no. 3 in E flat minor, op. 30
- Valse sentimentale, for violin and piano in F minor, op. 51, no. 6
- Keyboard
- The Seasons, op. 37b
- 12 Morceaux, difficulté moyen, op. 40
- 18 Morceaux, op. 72
- 2 Morceaux, op. 10
- 2 Pieces, op. 1
- 3 Morceaux, op. 9
- 50 Russian Folk Songs
- 6 Morceaux composés sur un seul thème, op. 21
- 6 Morceaux, op. 19
- 6 Morceaux, op. 51
- Aveu passionné in E
- Capriccio in G flat major, op. 8
- Children's Album: 24 Easy Pieces, op. 39
- Dumka in C minor, op. 59
- Grand Sonata in G major, op. 37
- Impromptu in A flat major
- Impromptu-caprice in G
- Lullaby
- March for the Volunteer Fleet in C
- Military March in B flat major
- Piano Sonata in C sharp minor, op. 80
- Potpourri on Themes from the opera Voyevoda
- Romance in F minor, op. 5
- Souvenir de Hapsal, op. 2
- Theme and Variations in A minor
- Valse caprice in D major, op. 4
- Valse-scherzo no. 1 in A major, op. 7
- Valse-scherzo no. 2 in A
- Vocal
- 'Tis Not the Cuckoo in the Damp Pinewood
- 12 Romances, op. 60
- 16 Children's Songs, op. 54
- 6 Church Songs
- 6 Duets, op. 46
- 6 French Songs, op. 65
- 6 Romances, op. 16
- 6 Romances, op. 25
- 6 Romances, op. 27
- 6 Romances, op. 28
- 6 Romances, op. 38
- 6 Romances, op. 57
- 6 Romances, op. 6
- 6 Romances, op. 63
- 6 Romances, op. 73
- 7 Romances, op. 47
- 9 Sacred Pieces
- An Angel Cried Out
- Blessed is He
- Blessed is He who Smiles
- Blue Eyes of Spring
- Crown of Roses
- Crying about Mahommed
- Dostoino yest
- I Should Like in a Single Word
- Khotel bi v edinoye slovo, for voice and piano
- Let My Prayer Ascend
- Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, op. 41
- Mein Liebchen
- Mezza notte, "Midnight"
- Moscow, for mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra
- Moy geniy, moy anguel, moy drug, for voice and piano
- My Genius, my Angel, my Friend
- Nature and Love, for 2 sopranos, alto, female chorus, and piano
- Night
- Nightingale
- Not a word, O my Friend, op. 6, no. 2
- Oh no! Do Not Love Me for my Beauty
- Praise the Name of the Lord
- So Soon Forgotten
- Sunrise
- Take My Heart Away
- The Golden Cloud has Slept
- Vesper Service, op. 52
- We Have Not Far to Walk
- You Were in my Dream
- Zemfira's Song