“The Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy.” “The 1812 Overture.” “Swan Lake.” These are some of the most recognizable and best-loved classical pieces of all time. They all materialized from the imagination of Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Like those of many great artists, Tchaikovsky’s creations were the result of both dreaminess and discipline, originality and order. Working according to a set rhythm helped Tchaikovsky produce the beloved works that solidified his remarkable reputation.
After he moved to a dacha (Russian seasonal country home) near Maidanovo in 1885, he established a daily routine that fueled his creativity. “What a joy to be in my own home!” he rhapsodized to his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck—who gave him a substantial yearly allowance of 6,000 rubles so he could dedicate himself to composing. “What a bliss to know that no one will come to interfere with my work, my reading, my walks.”
