Marking the 175th anniversary of the birth of Pyotr Tchaikovsky
«Music… from the depths of the soul excited by artistic inspiration».

First Music Teacher

A significant figure, who influenced the development of creative abilities of Tchaikovsky, was his first music mentor. According to the composer's brother Modest, 'the music teacher — Maria Palchikova (her married name is Longinova) was invited to Pyotr'. Modest wrote about her, mostly, in a negative way, 'It remain unknown where this Maria Palchikova came from, to what extent she was experienced in her profession. It may be stated only that it was specially sent to somewhere for her, that she knew well her specialty, that her student has kept the friendly memory of her, but that she was not able to meet entirely the needs of the future composer, because, in 1848, her pupil knew how to read music not worse than she did'.

It's hard to say on what Modest's conclusions concerning the studying piano art by the little Pyotr, were based, because he tells about the time when he was not born yet in the world (Modest was born two years later - in 1850). Judging from the above quotation, he did not know much about her. However, now there is very little information about Maria Palchikova (Loginova).

She was born in 1823 in the village of Votskoe in Urzhum Province. In 1845, Ilya Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Tchaikovsky's father, arrived in Urzhum, and Maria Palchikova was likely recommended to him as a music teacher. By his invitation, Maria came to Votkinsk where she taught Pyotr Tchaikovsky playing piano for three years. In 1848, Maria Palchikova's family moved from Votkinsk to the town of Slobodskoy in Vyatka Province. Later she lived in Samara and Kazan. She died in 1888 in Urzhum, where she was buried.

In view of the paucity of information, several legends was composed about the figure of Maria Palchikova. One relates to her origin. For example, you can find tales that Mary was born in a family of serfs (or former serfs). Her father played the balalaika, and his mother sang well. Among the legends are two versions regarding her musical education. According one of them, Mary was self-taught, the other narrates that the landowner's wife took the trouble to learn her, when she saw the peasant girl sitting at her piano and picking up melodies of folk songs.

Maria Loginova. Maria Loginova. Variations for Piano on a Romance «Why do you become silent».These legends were debunked by the two manuscripts, presented to Empress Maria Alexandrovna and Emperor Alexander II on the occasion of the coronation in 1856. Their full texts are reproduced on the site of the National Library of Russia in the project «Musical Gifts to Russian Emperors».
One of the manuscripts is a composition of Maria Loginova – Variations for Piano on a Romance «Why do you become silent».

Maria Loginova prefaced her composition with a detailed reference to the Empress, in which she not only pays tribute to the activities of the Romanovs in the field of science and art, but also reported that the art ' was her constant occupation from the childhood'. The address was signed 'Maria Loginova, the wife of Collegiate Assessor Loginov, living in the town of Slobodskoy of Vyatka Province'.

Another manuscript is the cantata «Alexander! The Whole World Glorifies Your Deeds». It is similar to the first in handwriting, design and a style of address to the imperial person, but, in this case, to Emperor Alexander II. The author of the cantata – Mark Palchikov. In it, like in the manuscript of Maria Loginova, the musical text is preceded by a direct address to the emperor.


Mark Palchikov. Cantata «Alexander!  The Whole World Glorifies Your Deeds».  Mark Palchikov. Text of the dedication to Emperor Alexander II.  Mark Palchikov. Text of the dedication to Emperor Alexander II.

In it, Mark Palchikov states that the «four-voice singing with the piano music», as he calls here the cantata was not his first work to be devoted to high-ranking persons. In 1845, he composed a march, prefacing it by a dedication to Duke Maximilian of Leuchtenberg visiting the town of Malmyzh.

Portrait of Maximilian of Leuchtenberg.Maximilian Joseph Eugene Auguste Napoleon de Beauharnais (1817–1852) – the 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince of Venice since 1839, became a member of the Russian imperial family by marrying the daughter of Emperor Nicholas I, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. He also, like other members of the imperial house, was a patron of the arts, in particular, Maximilian of Leuchtenberg was the President of the Imperial Academy of Arts (since 1843).

Mark Palchikov. Mark Palchikov. Marsh, composed on the occasion of His Imperial Highness Duke Maximilian Leuchtenberg' visit of the city Malmyzh  on 30 August 1845.Note that the Marsh, written by Mark Palchikov, was not only well received by the ducal suite, but was released in 1846 in Moscow.

But let us revert to the manuscript of the cantata dedicated to Alexander II. At the end of the reference to the emperor, the composer gives the details about himself, 'Your Imperial Majesty's loyalist Mark Palchikov, a Kazan bourgeois, who lives in the town of Slobodskoy in Vyatka Province'.

Comparing the names, it is easy to conclude that Maria Markovna Palchikova was Mark Palchikov's daughter. This fact disproves the legend of the peasant origin of the first music teacher of Tchaikovsky. Mark was a bourgeois, therefore, his daughter had the same social position before her marriage. At a time when serfdom was not yet canceled, a daughter of a serf hardly could become the wife of a man who had the rank of collegiate assessor. This rank was very highly valued and granted personal nobility. It was not easy to receive it - as a rule, it is required to obtain an university degree or to take an appropriate exam.

The myths about Maria Markovna's self-education in music, and that she learnt to play the piano from some landowner's wife also were completely refuted. Mark Palchikov was a composer, therefore, he mastered the instrument. Of course, he gave piano lessons to the daughter. His compositions in honor of the members of the imperial family were accepted with favor. One of them was published, the second entered in the Imperial Hermitage Library. Perhaps, in their circles, Mark had sufficient authority which became the basis for the invitation of Maria Palchikova as a music teacher to the family of Tchaikovsky.

Maria Loginova. Letter to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, dated to 22 December 1882. Speaking about Maria Palchikova (Loginova), of course, we cannot disregard her well-known letter to Pyotr Tchaikovsky. It was written on 22 December 1882, shortly before the festival of Christmas. The letter contains a rather cheerless story of Maria about her fate and a request for help.
It is unknown what Tchaikovsky answered to her, his letter which was sent through his publisher P. Jurgenson to Loginova, has not survived.


Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Pyotr Jurgenson, dated to  9 January 1883.There is a note addressed to Jurgenson, in which Tchaikovsky wrote,
'Dear friend! Kindly put fifty rubles in the enclosed letter and send it at the address. I was asked for help by my first music teacher, to whom I am very, very much obliged. And I absolutely can not refuse, and I found it improper to do it otherwise than through you. Your Tchaikovsky. For the address, I send her letter and ask to keep it.'

The note by Tchaikovsky demonstrates that he remembered his teacher, and, unlike Modest Ilyich, who believed that she could not "fully meet the needs of the future composer", he highly appreciated her.
And, thanks to his request to save the letter from Maria Loginova, it has been preserved to this day.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Photographic portrait with a dedication to Baron Rudolf Ottonovich Buxhoevden. 6 March 1891. –
F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 48.
Catalogue of P. I. Tchaikovsky's works published by P. I. Jurgenson. – F. 773. G. N. Timofeev, M. V. Janova, № 1156.
P. Jurgenson. Letter to Stasov dated to 19 December 1894. – F. 738. V. V. Stasov, № 234.
Modest Tchaikovsky. Photographic portrait with a dedication to Baron Rudolf Ottonovich Buxhoevden. 1 June1891. –
F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 49.
P.I. Tchaikovsky. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to his Aunt Elizaveta Schobert. 1848. – Ф. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 2, fols. 3.–3 v.
The house where Elizaveta Schobert's furnished rooms were located.
P.I. Tchaikovsky Letter to Frederick Dürbach. 1848. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 2, fol. 5.
Fanny Dürbach
Maria Loginova. Maria Loginova. Variations for Piano on a Romance «Why do you become silent». – OSRK. F.XII.27, fol. 3.
Maria Loginova. Maria Loginova. Variations for Piano on a Romance «Why do you become silent». Text of the dedication to Empress Maria Alexandrovna. – OSRK F.XII.27, fol. 2.
Mark Palchikov. Cantata «Alexander! The Whole World Glorifies Your Deeds». – OSRK. F.XII.26, fol. 4 об.
Mark Palchikov. Text of the dedication to Emperor Alexander II. – OSRK. F.XII.26, fol. 2.
Mark Palchikov. Text of the dedication to Emperor Alexander II. – OSRK. F.XII.26, fol. 2 v.
Portrait of Maximilian of Leuchtenberg.
Mark Palchikov. Mark Palchikov. Marsh, composed on the occasion of His Imperial Highness Duke Maximilian Leuchtenberg' visit of the city Malmyzh on 30 August 1845. Moscow, 1846. – ONIiMZ RNB. М 560-4/828.
Maria Loginova. Letter to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, dated to 22 December 1882. –
F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 38.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Pyotr Jurgenson, dated to 9 January 1883. –
F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 38.
Imperial School of Jurisprudence.
Vladimir Stasov – a student of the School of Jurisprudence.
Nadezhda von Meck
Church of St. Catherine at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence.
Catherine Pavlovna, the Queen of Württemberg
«Bulletin of the Church of Holy Great Martyr Catherine at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence». – F. 1000. Collection of individual arrivals, op. 1, № 240, fol. 2–3.
Archpriest Mikhail Bogoslovsky.
«Bulletin of the Church of Holy Great Martyr Catherine at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence. About the clergy of the mentioned church». – F. 1000. Collection of individual arrivals, op. 1, № 240, fol. 3 v.–5
Gavrila Lomakin. – F. 816. N.F. Findeyzen, № 3555.
Gavrila Lomakin. Farewell Song [ for students of the Imperial School of Jurisprudence]. Part for treble. An authorized copy. – F. 1021. Collection of individual music arrivals, op. 2, № 67, fol. 1.
P.I. Tchaikovsky. «O Gladsome Light» based on the Kiev chant. Part for bass I. –
F. 1021. Collection of individual music arrivals, оп. 1, № 8, fol. 46.
«O Gladsome Light» based on the Kiev chant in the book Irmologion for liturgical singing. 1759. – OLDP. F.510.
Vladimir Stasov. Letter to Poytr Tchaikovsky dated to 30 December 1872. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 45, fol. 1.
Vladimir Stasov. Letter to Poytr Tchaikovsky dated to 30 December 1872. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 45, fols. 1 v.-2.
Vladimir Stasov. Letter to Poytr Tchaikovsky dated to 30 December 1872. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 45, fol. 2 v.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Vladimir Stasov, dated 15 January 1873. – F. 738. V. V. Stasov, № 343, fols. 1–2 v.
P.I. Tchaikovsky The Tempest. Fantasia for Grand Orchestra. Four-, three- and two-lines summary of the composition with directions for its instrumentation. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 5, fol. 1.
P.I. Tchaikovsky The Tempest. Fantasia for Grand Orchestra. Four-, three- and two-lines summary of the composition with directions for its instrumentation. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 5, fol. 1 v.
P.I. Tchaikovsky The Tempest. Fantasia for Grand Orchestra. Four-, three- and two-lines summary of the composition with directions for its instrumentation. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 5, fol. 2.
Tchaikovsky's Monogram of 1873–1875.
Anatoly Tchaikovsky's Monogram. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Alexey Sofronov, dated to 9 October 1878. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 25, fol. 14.
Tchaikovsky's Monogram in 1876–1881.
4/16 January [1880]. Rome. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Lev Davydov. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 19, fol. 23.
19/31 January 1882. Rome. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 10.
10 August. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky,
№ 29, fol. 4.
6 May 1882. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 13.
19 June 1882. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 17.
8 November 1882. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Leonty Tkachenko. –
F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 29, fol. 26.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Lev Davydov, dated to 15 June 1883. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 19, fol. 45.
14 December 1883. Moscow. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Mily Balakirev. –
F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 12, fol. 12.
13 September 1885. Klin. Maydanovo. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Mily Balakirev. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 12, fol. 21.
21 November 1885. Klin. Maydanovo. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Mily Balakirev. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 12, fol. 28.
11 March 1887. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Mily Balakirev. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 12, fol. 37.
29 April 1887. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Vladimir Stasov. –
F. 738. V. Stasov, № 343, fol. 62.
1 August 1888. Frolovskoe. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Vladimir Vasiliev-Shilovsky. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 14, fol. 18.
21 April 1884. Kamenka. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Anna Alexandrova-Levenson. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 9, fol. 1.
23 June 1884. Grankino. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to Lev Davydov. – F. 384. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 19, fol. 49.
9 November 1887. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Letter to [Peterson?] written on the paper with the monogram of his elder brother Nikolay. – F. 654. N. G. Rubinstein, № 118.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky's letter to his brother Modest. 17/29 April 1874. –
F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 36, fol. 52.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Hamlet. Fragment. –
F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 54.
Lucien Guitry. Photographic portrait. –
F. 965. P. Vaksel, № 1143.
Vsevolod Prokofiev. 1940. –
F. 1175. V. and Ju. Prokofievs, № 359, fol. 3.
Vsevolod Prokofiev. Letter to Nikolay Zhegin dated to 16 March 1936. – F. 1175. V. and Ju. Prokofievs, № 348, fol. 1.
Nikolay Zhegin. Letter to Vsevolod Prokofiev. 22 March 1936. – F. 1175. V. and Ju. Prokofievs, № 353.
Nikolay Zhegin. 1932. Director of the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin. –
F. 1575. I. Semenov, № 232.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Iolanta's Arioso from the opera of the same name. Fragment. – F. 834. P.I. Tchaikovsky, № 6.
Maria Anderson in the role of the Wite Cat in the ballet «The Sleeping Beauty». – F. 1021. Collection of individual music arrivals, оп. 4, № 5, fol. 30.
Photographic portraits of Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Maria Anderson, pasted in her notebook. – F. 1021. Collection of individual music arrivals, op. 4, № 5, fol. 29 v.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky with Nikolay and Medeya Figners. – F. 1534. N. and R. Figners, № 176.
Nikolay Figners in the role of Lensky in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». – F. 1534. N. and R. Figners, № 155, fols. 1–3.
Medeya Figner in the role of Tatyana in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, 1880s. – F. 1534. N. and R. Figners, № 179, fols. 1–2.
Leonid Sobinov in the role of Onegin in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». 1900s. – F. 1575. B. Semenov, № 178.
Alexander Smirnov as Lensky in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». 1903. – F. 1033. E. Vizel, № 288.
Konstantin Serebryakov as Gremin in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «Eugene Onegin». 1903. – F. 1033. E. Vizel, № 286.
Nikolay Pechkovsky as Herman in the Pyotr Tchaikovsky opera «The Queen of Spades». 1930. – F. 1033. E. Vizel, № 284.