14.9 Nadezhda von Meck, Tchaikovsky's Best Friend

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the music for the Nutcracker, the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, multiple symphonies, several operas, and more. He is among the most popular composers of the 19th century. But as usual he didn't do it alone. He and his friend Nadezhda von Meck had a 13-year correspondence of 1200 letters. They shared (almost) everything with each other, but they never actually … met. Still, Tchaikovsky credited Nadezhda for saving his bank account (many times over), and also his sanity, and even his life. It's safe to say that some of his most gorgeous music would never have been written without Nadezhda. Music for this episode includes licensed music from Pond5 and copyright-free music from Musopen.org. The pieces referenced include: The Nutcracker Suite Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture Sleeping Beauty Swan Lake 4th Symphony 6th Symphony Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads or Instagram as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices