Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky remains to this day one of the most-performed Russian composers. Based on recent studies and source editions, this book demonstrates the close interrelationship between Tchaikovsky¿s life and his work. The author portrays the versatility of the musician who died at the mere age of 53 under controversial circumstances in St. Petersburg. About the German edition of this book: «[¿] Constantin Floros devotes himself initially to the biography and then to the compositional oeuvre, divided according to genre and supplemented by concrete illustrations, thus giving greater significance to the music.» (Forum Musikbibliothek 27, 2006) «[¿] the music gets more weight of its own in the more detailed analyses ¿ illustrated with revealing note citations ¿ which yet always remain readily accessible.» (Steffen A. Schmidt, Das Orchester 02/2007)