Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Tchaikovsky's Voice

Tchaikovsky's Voice

The following recording was made in Moscow in January 1890, by Julius Block on behalf of Thomas Edison.

His real voice
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Recorded January,1890 Anton Rubinstein: What a wonderful thing. J. Block: Finally. E. Lavrovskaya A disgusting...how he dares slyly to name me. Vasily Safonov : (Sings). P. Tchaikovsky: This trill could be better. E. Lavrovskaya: (sings). P. Tchaikovsky: Block is a good fellow, but Edison is even better. E. Lavrovskaya: (sings) A-o, a-o. V. Safonov: (In German) Peter Jurgenson in Moscow. P. Tchaikovsky: Who just spoke? It seems to have been Safonov. (Whistles)

According to musicologist Leonid Sabaneyev, Tchaikovsky was not comfortable with being recorded for posterity and tried to shy away from it. On an apparently separate visit from the one related above, Block asked the composer to play something on a piano or at least say something. Tchaikovsky refused. He told Block, "I am a bad pianist and my voice is raspy. Why should one eternalize it?"

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