Nearly every major composer has a year in which personal crises affects the future development of his music, and for Tchaikovsky, the year of turmoil was 1877. Though he had still not composed his greatest masterpieces, he had already written, amongst other works, three symphonies, several operas, and the ballet Swan Lake. He was also benefiting from the recent financial support of Madame Nadezhda von Meck, which allowed him to concentrate more fully upon composition. Although all of those aspects were positive influences upon Tchaikovsky's life; the crisis lay in a sudden and very ill-considered marriage. One of his former students had become deeply in love with him, and swore that if he did not marry her, she would take her life. Concerned fo

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