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May 7th 1840 was the birthday of one of the most famous Russian composers of the nineteenth century: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the son of a mining inspector. Tchaikovsky studied music as a child and later studied composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. His greatest period of productivity occurred between 1876 and 1890, during which time he enjoyed patronage of Madame von Meck, a woman he never met, who gave him a yearly living stipend. Madame von Meck later terminated her friendship with Tchaikovsky, as well as his living allowance, when she, herself, was facing financial difficulties. It was during the time of Madame von Meck’s patronage, however, that Tchaikovsky created the music for which he is most famous, including the music for the ballets of “Swan Lake” and “The Sleeping Beauty”. Tchaikovsky’s music, well-known for its rich melodic and sometimes melancholy passages, was one of the first that brought serious dramatic music to dance. Before this, little attention had been given to the music behind the dance. Tchaikovsky died ostensibly of cholera on November 6th 1893, though there are now some scholars who argue that he committed suicide.\
