Tchaikovsky
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Sergei Rachinskii
Sergei Aleksandrovich Rachinskii (Сергей Александрович Рачинский) was a Russian academic, botanist, and amateur musician, born on 27 April/8 May 1833.
After graduating from Moscow University, Rachinskii served in the archives department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, but was appointed tutor (1856–58) and later professor (1858–1868) of botany at Moscow University. He also edited the newspaper Russian Herald (Русский вестник). His later years were spent in religious education, and writing numerous books and articles on religion, art, literature and science
Rachinskii was a great admirer of Tchaikovsky's music. In 1869 Tchaikovsky wrote a Chorus of Flowers and Insects for an unrealised opera Mandragora to a libretto supplied by Rachinskii, but this project progressed no further, and many other operatic subjects suggested by Rachinskii were not taken up by the composer. Rachinskii may also have been responsible for inserting verses by Konstantin Batiushkov to the programme (and eventually the score) of Tchaikovsky's fantasia Fatum (1868).
In 1871 Tchaikovsky dedicated his String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11, to Rachinskii.
Sergei Rachinskii died on 24 April/2 May 1902, aged 68.