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TH 166

The Romans in the Coliseum

Римляне в колизее

Musical picture for orchestra (1863/64).

  • Composed in 1863 or 1864.
  • Scored for symphony orchestra.
  • Lost.

History

Probably an orchestral piece composed during Tchaikovsky's studies at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Mentioned by Herman Laroche in letters of 11 and 27 January 1866 to the composer [1], as one of Tchaikovsky's early works which had been "judged particularly harshly on account of their brassy orchestration" [2].

From: The Tchaikovsky Handbook, vol. 1 (2002), p. 348
Copyright © 2002 Alexander Poznansky and Brett Langston

Notes:

  1. Letters from Hermann Laroche to the composer, 11/23 January and 27 January/8 February 1866 - Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
  2. M. I. Tchaikovsky, Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 1 (1900), p. 204-205 [back]