Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky facts for kids

Modest Tchaikovsky

Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Моде́ст Ильи́ч Чайко́вский; May 13, 1850 – January 15, 1916) was a Russian writer for plays, a person who writes opera stories called librettist, and a translator. He was the younger brother of the famous composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Early Life and Education

Modest Ilyich was born in Alapayevsk, a town in Russia. He studied law and graduated from the Imperial School of Jurisprudence. In 1876, Modest became a teacher for a boy named Nikolai Konradi, who could not hear or speak. Modest used a special way of teaching and helped Nikolai learn to talk, write, and read.

A Life in Literature and Music

Modest decided to spend his life working with books and music. He wrote many plays. He also translated sonnets, which are a type of poem, by the famous writer Shakespeare into Russian.

Modest was well-known for writing librettos for operas. A libretto is the story or text of an opera. He wrote librettos for his brother Pyotr Tchaikovsky's operas, and also for other composers. Some of these composers included Eduard Nápravník, Arseny Koreshchenko, Anton Arensky, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Modest was a very close friend to his brother Pyotr. Because of this, he became the first person to write a biography about Pyotr's life. He also helped create the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin.

Plays He Wrote

• Predrassudki (Prejudices)
• Simfoniya (Symphony)
• Den' v Peterburge (A Day in St Petersburg)

Operas He Wrote For

Modest Tchaikovsky wrote the stories for these operas:

• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Queen of Spades (Pikovaya dama), Op. 68, 1890. It was first performed on December 19, 1890, in St Petersburg.
• Tchaikovsky: Iolanta (Iolanta), Op. 69, 1891. This opera was based on a play called King René’s Daughter. It was first performed in 1892 in St Petersburg.
• Eduard Nápravník: Dubrovsky. It was first performed on January 15, 1895, in St Petersburg.
• Arseny Koreshchenko: Ledyanoy dom. It was first performed on November 20, 1900, in Moscow.
• Anton Arensky: Nal' i Damayanty. This opera was based on an old story from the Mahabharata. It was first performed on January 22, 1904, in Moscow.
• Sergei Rachmaninoff: Francesca da Rimini (Francheska da Rimini), Op. 25, 1904. This story came from Dante's famous poem The Inferno. It was first performed on January 24, 1906, in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theatre.

See also

In Spanish: Modest Ilich Chaikovski para niños