"A man of all contrasts, of all paradoxes, of all extremes, Tchaikovsky is part of that breed of romantic composers marked by destiny, whose tormented personality and exacerbated sensitivity have never ceased to fascinate and engage. Consecrated official musician, both by the Tsarist and Soviet regimes, a fierce censorship has attempted to sugarcoat many of the intimate aspects of the character and his existence." [André Lischke: Tchaikovsky]
