In 1866, Danish Princess Marie Sophie FrederIkke Dagmar arrived in Russia to marry the future Emperor Alexander the Third of Russia. She was converted to Orthodoxy and became Grand Duchess MarIa FeOdorovna of Russia. That’s when her character was first reflected in the works of Pyotr TchaikOvsky and he created his Festival Overture on the Danish National Anthem. The Empress expressed her desire to receive the work the composer dedicated to her by contacting him through Grand Duke KonstantIn RomAnov, the Emperor’s cousin. They often played piano four hands, spoke about music, art, he accompanied Maria to stage performances when she was still the wife of the crown prince.
As a very famous person, Pyotr Tchaikovsky had many acquaintances in high society, including representatives of the Romanov Dynasty. He developed a particularly warm relationship with Konstantin Romanov. Tchaikovsky considered Konstantin to be his patron. The composer wrote six romances with lyrics by Konstantin Romanov. Collections of works with Romanov’s dedicatory inscriptions have been preserved in Tchaikovsky’s personal library.
Maria Feodorovna knew the name of Pyotr Tchaikovsky after his works were staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. She loved music a lot and especially enjoyed the romances that were often performed at the imperial residences. In 1886, having finished his opera The Enchantress, the composer rushed to please Her Majesty — that is when he created his Twelve Romances, Opus 60, which became the largest collection of his vocal lyrics. They contain different variants of the romance genre and represent somewhat an interim result on the way to Tchaikovsky’s later works. Tchaikovsky asked for Konstantin Romanov’s help to give this work to the Empress.
The gift became a highlight in the music library of the Empress. Other members of the imperial family gave positive feedback on the compositions. Princess Helene of Mecklenburg, who was a talented chamber singer, performed at least two of them. In 1887, Empress Maria Feodorovna sent her portrait with an autograph and in a beautiful frame to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, as a sign of her favor.
As a very famous person, Pyotr Tchaikovsky had many acquaintances in high society, including representatives of the Romanov Dynasty. He developed a particularly warm relationship with Konstantin Romanov. Tchaikovsky considered Konstantin to be his patron. The composer wrote six romances with lyrics by Konstantin Romanov. Collections of works with Romanov’s dedicatory inscriptions have been preserved in Tchaikovsky’s personal library.
Maria Feodorovna knew the name of Pyotr Tchaikovsky after his works were staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. She loved music a lot and especially enjoyed the romances that were often performed at the imperial residences. In 1886, having finished his opera The Enchantress, the composer rushed to please Her Majesty — that is when he created his Twelve Romances, Opus 60, which became the largest collection of his vocal lyrics. They contain different variants of the romance genre and represent somewhat an interim result on the way to Tchaikovsky’s later works. Tchaikovsky asked for Konstantin Romanov’s help to give this work to the Empress.
The gift became a highlight in the music library of the Empress. Other members of the imperial family gave positive feedback on the compositions. Princess Helene of Mecklenburg, who was a talented chamber singer, performed at least two of them. In 1887, Empress Maria Feodorovna sent her portrait with an autograph and in a beautiful frame to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, as a sign of her favor.
