Pyotr Tchaikovsky was an outstanding Russian composer of the 19th century whose works appealed to the international public, including Europeans and Americans. For his talent, he was awarded by Emperor Alexander III and achieved enormous success. However, it did not prevent him from facing personal crisis and depression. Some music scholars, including Boris Asafiev, believed that he created a “Requiem” for himself in his last completed the Sixth Symphony. Still, as his death is ascribed to cholera, it is rather difficult for me to accept such an idea. I believe that professionals tend to exaggerate the things they find in the “plot” of this symphony and think that it was more a case of coincidence.
The composer did not stop creating music after the Sixth Symphony and did not commit suicide. Thus, I tend to agree with Timothy Jackson who spoke of “Requiem” in connection with homosexuality and deadly relations with Bob. To my mind, a drama in personal life could have affected Tchaikovsky’s mind and music so that it turned rather pessimistic. Ritzarev also supports this idea and calls the Sixth Symphony the Homosexual Tragedy. What is more, the professional identifies his sexuality as a cornerstone for creative work. I find such an assumption rather interesting because it means that the uniqueness of the Sixth Symphony and the fact that it appeals to a diverse population were achieved at least partially due to this factor.
All in all, I believe that professionals should not be that critical when they express their considerations regarding the interpretation of a composer’s work. It would be better if they just share their views allowing the listeners to analyze the works and consider what affected the composer and themselves.