A seminar with

Prof. Simon Morrison
Professor of Music at Princeton University
James Melo
Musicologist for the Ensemble for the Romantic Century and Senior Editor at RILM Abstracts of Music Literature

The seminar revisits important issues in the reception history of Tchaikovsky, both in Russia and abroad, in light of recent events in Russia that have brought to the fore once again the thorny issue of the composer’s homosexuality. Far from being an ancillary question in the reception of Tchaikovsky’s music, his sexual orientation has historical and aesthetic significance insofar as it colored the cultural construction of a perceived national icon. The current cultural environment in Russia is a clear indication that this question continues to intrigue and divide scholars, politicians, and the public. The seminar will address the implications of Tchaikovsky’s sexuality for his career and his relationship to the Russian establishment of his time, his strategies for negotiating social stigma, and the repercussions of his homosexuality for the reception of his music.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014.
5:30-7:30 pm
CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave., Skylight Room, 9th floor

FREE ADMISSION
For more information: jmelo@gc.cuny.edu; 212-817-8606

To find out more about ERC’s theatrical concerts, visit our website: www.romanticcentury.org