Tis the season for Tchaikovsky

Have you ever seen Black Swan? If not, shame on you- it's a phenomenal marriage of ballet and cinema, both visually and in reference to the stories of both the bovie and the true swan lake. That aside, though, let's take a closer look at the mastermind behind the music- Pyotr Tchaikovsky (pronounce- pee-yoh-tur tch-ike-ov-skee). Why? Well, for starters, it's been scientifically proven that studying AND sleeping to classical music is better for you, and this composer is perfect for both the seasoned classical music fan and the newbie. His compositions are exciting, diverse, and easily recognizable to anyone who doesn't want to just start downloading eight million etudes in the pursuit of sounder sleep and higher education. In addition, the first snow of the season fell all day yesterday- and for me, at least, the first snow always signifies the coming of ballet season. You should ALWAYS care about ballet season, regardless of who you are. Boys- buy your girl tickets for Christmas. Girls- bring your friends and have an excuse to dress up, or just go by yourself and feel moved by the minor falls and major lifts (and for those of you who regularly read my blog, that's a direct quote from Leonard Cohen's Hallelujiah). Back to Tchaikovsky, though. Whether listening to him for studying, or because you love classical music anyway, or because you want to put on your dancing shoes- you're bound to be enthralled by his apt use of unique instrument features, seamless key changes, and challenging, enticing time signatures. Take a listen- who knows, you might get hooked.

A little nod to Tchaikovsky himself that I forgot to mention earlier, by the way- thank him for Sleeping Beauty. Whether the play or the Disney movie, still one of the most moving scores in history.