Description

Tchaikovsky's passing in October 1893 in St. Petersburg, shortly after the debut of his renowned Pathétique symphony, stands as one of the most extensively recorded deaths of a notable cultural figure in contemporary history. He was attended by at least four doctors and was in the company of family and friends. The official cause of death was cholera; however, since his demise, speculation has persisted that it may not have been accidental. Allegations suggest that Tchaikovsky may have taken his own life to evade the potential scandal of being revealed as a homosexual.

Alexander Poznansky, the first Western researcher granted access to the Tchaikovsky archives in Klin, Russia, presents a compelling narrative in his new book, the culmination of five years of investigation. Utilizing a wealth of previously undisclosed materials, including diaries, letters, memoirs, and newspaper articles, he meticulously outlines the events leading up to the composer's death and finds no substantiation for the theory that factors other than cholera contributed to Tchaikovsky's demise.