Simon Morrison is professor of music and Slavic languages and literatures and director of the Humanities Council’s Fund for Canadian Studies. His latest book “Tchaikovsky’s Empire: A New Life of Russia’s Greatest Composer” was published in August 2024 by Yale University Press.
How did you get the idea for this project?
I was commissioned to write it by Yale University Press, after conversations that revealed a need for a fresh take on this composer’s like, devoid of homophobia and political distortions.
How did the project develop or change throughout the research and writing process?
I spent several years researching the book using Russian archives, and my perception of the composer’s achievement evolved. [Tchaikovsky] had access to the highest rungs of power in Russia yet wasn’t particularly political. The research changed altogether my understanding – our understanding – of the conception of major operas and ballets.
What questions for future investigation has the project sparked?
It brought to light little-known and in some instances wholly unknown compositions that merit performance given their intrinsic quality.
Why should people read this book?
It relies on original research, offers a fresh take on a familiar figure, and is unbiased – or so I hope!
“Tchaikovsky’s Empire” was included in the Financial Times’ Best Books of 2024-Classical and Pop Music; read more about faculty on ‘best of’ lists on the University homepage.
Learn more about other publications by Princeton University faculty in the humanities by exploring our Faculty Bookshelf.