Tchaikovsky Uncovered (2007)

SynoIn this programme Charles Hazlewood explores both versions of the score, allowing us to follow the final transformation of Tchaikovsky from aspiring composer into a fully fledged classical master. Comparison of these two scores gives a unique insight into his compositional process - how he developed themes and ideas; how he painstakingly revised his music; which ideas he rejected and which he chose to keep. But the central thrust of the programme is Charles unpacking of the final version of Romeo and Juliet which guides us through both its detail and its architecture, and explores how the composer transformed descriptive 'programme music' within textbook 'classical form'.