André Tchaikowsky (also Andrzej Czajkowski; born Robert Andrzej Krauthammer; November 1, 1935June 26, 1982) was a Polish
composer and
pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, j ...
.
Life and career
Robert Andrzej Krauthammer was born in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...
in 1935 into a Jewish family. He had shown musical talent from an early age, and his mother, an amateur pianist, taught him the piano from the age of four. When the Second World War broke out, they were moved into the
Warsaw Ghetto
The Warsaw Ghetto (german: Warschauer Ghetto, officially , "Jewish Residential District in Warsaw"; pl, getto warszawskie) was the largest of the Nazi ghettos during World War II and the Holocaust. It was established in November 1940 by the N ...
. Krauthammer remained there until 1942, when he was smuggled out and provided with forged identity papers that renamed him Andrzej Czajkowski. He then went into hiding with his grandmother, Celina. The pair remained hidden until 1944, when they were caught up in the
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led ...
, and they were then sent to
Pruszków transit camp as ordinary Polish citizens, from which they were released in 1945. Tchaikowsky's father, Karl Krauthammer, also survived the war, and remarried, producing a daughter, Katherine, later Krauthammer-Vogt. Tchaikowsky's mother, Felicja Krauthammer (née Rappaport) was confined in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942, and died in
Treblinka
Treblinka () was an extermination camp, built and operated by Nazi Germany in Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), occupied Poland during World War II. It was in a forest north-east of Warsaw, south of the Treblinka, Masovian Voivodeship, vi ...
.
Andrzej Czajkowski, as he was re-named (he later adopted the spelling ''André Tchaikowsky''), resumed his lessons at age 9 in Łodz State School, under the tuition of Emma Altberg (herself once a student of
Wanda Landowska
Wanda Aleksandra Landowska (5 July 1879 – 16 August 1959) was a Polish harpsichordist and pianist whose performances, teaching, writings and especially her many recordings played a large role in reviving the popularity of the harpsichord in ...
). From there, he went to Paris, where
Lazare Lévy
Lazare Lévy
Lazare Lévy, also hyphenated as Lazare-Lévy, (18 January 188220 September 1964) was an influential French pianist, organist, composer and pedagogue. As a virtuoso pianist he toured throughout Europe, in North Africa, Israel, the Sov ...
took over his musical education, and where he would also break off relations with his father for many years following an argument.
After his return to Poland (1950), he studied at the State Music Academy in
Sopot
Sopot is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, and has the status of the county, being the smallest c ...
under Prof. Olga Iliwicka-Dąbrowska, and later at the State Music Academy in Warsaw under Prof.
Stanisław Szpinalski
Stanisław Szpinalski (15 November 1901 in Yekaterinodar – 12 June 1957 in Paris) was a Polish pianist.
Early years
Born and trained in Russia, he would return to his homeland as it was reconstituted. Once he finished his studies in the W ...
. He began developing his concert career while still a student, displaying his showmanship through public performances of
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...
's
Goldberg Variations
The ''Goldberg Variations'', BWV 988, is a musical composition for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, it is named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may also h ...
,
Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...
's
Piano Concerto No. 2 and providing listeners with improvisations on various themes. From 1951, he took composition classes with Prof.
Kazimierz Sikorski.
After his success at the
V International Chopin Piano Competition
The V International Chopin Piano Competition ( pl, V Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im. Fryderyka Chopina) was held from 21 February to 20 March 1955 in Warsaw. The competition was won by Adam Harasiewicz of Poland.
The competition was he ...
, where he won the 8th award (1955), Tchaikowsky left to study in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
under Polish pianist
Stefan Askenase.
As a result of his work with Askenase, Tchaikowsky took part in the
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
The Queen Elisabeth Competition ( nl, Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd, french: Concours musical international Reine Élisabeth) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in City of Brussels, Brussels. The competition is n ...
, winning third prize in 1956. That same year, he emigrated to England, where he lived until his death.
In 1957, he gave a series of recitals in Paris, performing all of
Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
's compositions for piano in honour of the twentieth anniversary of the French composer's death. During the same time, he consulted
Nadia Boulanger
Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist.
From a ...
at
Fontainbleau on matters of composition, as well as establishing contact with
Arthur Rubinstein
Arthur Rubinstein ( pl, Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 188720 December 1982) was a Polish-American pianist. .
Despite his success as a pianist, André Tchaikowsky’s greatest passion was composition. He wrote two Piano Concertos, a String Quartet, a setting of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's Seven Sonnets for voice and piano, a Piano Trio and several compositions for piano solo. These included a Piano Sonata in 1958 and a series of ten ''Inventions'' for piano, composed between 1961 and 1962, dedicated to (and portraits of) a series of friends. The final piece is dedicated to his psychiatrist, Michael Riddall. The English pianist
Norma Fisher recorded the ''Inventions'' for the BBC in 1984.
He also completed an opera, ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
'', based on
Shakespeare's play. Most of the opera was written by 1978, and following discussions with the music critic
Hans Keller, Tchaikowsky decided to submit it for consideration to
English National Opera
English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in Englis ...
, then under the directorship of
Lord Harewood. A playthrough of the first two acts was arranged in December 1981, with Harewood and the ENO artistic director
David Pountney
Sir David Willoughby Pountney (born 10 September 1947) is a British-Polish theatre and opera director and librettist internationally known for his productions of rarely performed operas and new productions of classic works. He has directed ove ...
and conductor
Mark Elder
Sir Mark Philip Elder (born 2 June 1947) is a British conductor. He is currently music director of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England.
Life and career
Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, the son of a dentist. He played the ...
in attendance. But in March 1982 Tchaikowsky received a letter from Harewood turning the opera down. By this time Tchaikowsky was already seriously ill, and he died only three months later. His dying wish was that the opera be performed. The opera was not produced until 2013 at the
Bregenz Festival
Bregenzer Festspiele (; Bregenz Festival) is a performing arts festival which is held every July and August in Bregenz in Vorarlberg (Austria).
It features a large floating stage which is situated on Lake Constance.
History
The Festival becam ...
.
For
RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ar ...
and
Columbia EMI
Columbia may refer to:
* Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America
Places North America Natural features
* Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...
, Tchaikowsky recorded works by Bach (Goldberg Variations),
Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have le ...
(two Sonatas, Variations in F minor),
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
(Concerto in C major, two Sonatas and minor works),
Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
(waltzes, ländlers, German dances),
Chopin (15
mazurka
The mazurka (Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character de ...
s) as well as
Fauré (Piano Quartet in C minor). He made several recordings of his own works for the EMI label.
Skull
Tchaikowsky died of
colon cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...
at the age of 46 in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...
.
In his will he left his body to medical research, and donated his skull to the
Royal Shakespeare Company, asking that it be used as a prop on stage.
Tchaikowsky hoped that his skull would be used for the skull of
Yorick in productions of ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...
''.
For many years, no actor or director felt comfortable using a real skull in performances, although it was occasionally used in rehearsals. In 2008, the skull was finally held by
David Tennant
David John Tennant ('' né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show '' Doctor Who'', reprising the ...
in a series of performances of ''Hamlet'' at the
Courtyard Theatre in
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-w ...
.
After the use of Tchaikowsky's skull was revealed in the press, this production of ''Hamlet'' moved to the
West End
West End most commonly refers to:
* West End of London, an area of central London, England
* West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England
West End may also refer to:
Pl ...
and the RSC announced that they would no longer use Tchaikowsky's skull (a spokesman said that it would be "too distracting for the audience").
However, this was a deception; in fact, the skull was used throughout the production's West End run, and in a subsequent television adaptation broadcast on
BBC2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream ...
.
Director
Gregory Doran
Gregory Doran (born 24 November 1958) is an English director known for his Shakespearean work. '' The Sunday Times'' called him 'one of the great Shakespearians of his generation'.
Doran was artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (R ...
said, "André Tchaikowsky's skull was a very important part of our production of ''Hamlet'', and despite all the hype about him, he meant a great deal to the company."
Notable compositions
* Piano Concerto No. 1 (1957)
* Sonata for piano (1958)
* Sonata for clarinet and piano, Op. 1 (1959)
* Inventions for piano, Op. 2 (1961–1962)
* String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op.3 (1969–1970)
* Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 4 (1966–1971)
* String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 5 (1973–1975)
* Opera, ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
'' (1968–1982)
References
Bibliography
* David A Ferré: "André Tchaikovsky", ''
Music and Musicians'' (December 1985)
* Belina-Johnson, Anastasia (ed.) (2013). ''A Musician Divided: André Tchaikowsky in his Own Words''. London: Toccata Press.
* Anita Halina Janowska, ''My Guardian Demon. Letters of André Tchaikowsky & Halina Janowska 1956-1982''. Translated from the Polish by Jacek Laskowski. Smith-Gordon 2014, . Polish editions: incomplete first edition ''...Mój diabeł stróż. Listy Andrzeja Czajkowskiego i Haliny Sander'', selection and edition by Anita Janowska, PIW Warszawa 1988, . 2nd edition: Wydawnictwo Siedmioróg, Wrocław 1996, . Extended and illustrated 3rd edition: Anita Halina Janowska, ''...Mój diabeł stróż. Listy Andrzeja Czajkowskiego i Haliny Janowskiej'', Wydawnictwo W.A.B., Warszawa, 2011, .
External links
André Tchaikowsky Website edited by David Ferré
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tchaikowsky, Andre
Polish classical composers
Polish male classical composers
Polish classical pianists
Polish emigrants to the United Kingdom
Male classical pianists
1935 births
1982 deaths
Musicians from Warsaw
Deaths from colorectal cancer
Prize-winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition
Jewish classical pianists
Jewish classical composers
Warsaw Ghetto inmates
Prize-winners of the International Chopin Piano Competition
20th-century Polish Jews
20th-century classical composers
20th-century classical pianists
20th-century male musicians