What was the favourite genre of Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saëns? Ballet!
Great masters come together from time to time. These encounters sometimes become legendary. Why? Much of it reveals things that no one expected - such as the moment when Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saëns found out that they were both passionate about ballet. This is interesting in itself, but what can we conclude from this? Why ballet? Why was it an exciting genre for both composers? Let's find out this afternoon! Camille Saint-Saëns visited Moscow as part of his concert tour in November 1875.
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There he met Tchaikovsky, who was fascinated by the composer of The Carnival of the Animals. "He combines the grace and elegance of the French school with the seriousness and depth of the German," he wrote of him.
The other half is also delighted: "You will always find in me a committed and reliable friend - never forget that!" And that's just the beginning, there are more points in common in their biographies and personalities. It is an interesting subject to look at the lives of two composers from opposite ends of the world. Their passion for ballet was also a common point. So did the subtlety and melodiousness of their music, and the interesting development of their private lives. Let's explore a little, listen to some beautiful romantic music spiced up with a bit of singing and a quiz game. The good mood and interesting stories will be provided by Dóra Tápai , choirmaster, secondary school singing and music teacher, music teacher of the Hungarian House of Music.
House of Music Hungary
A music education centre and concert venue in the heart of the City Park, behind the airy futuristic glass facade of Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto.
