Tchaikovsky was not Gay?

That is according to the latest homophobic salvo coming out of Russia. The country's culture minister Vladimir Medinsky has said that 'there is no evidence that Tchaikovsky was a homosexual'. I thought it was only fair that I set the record straight, as it weren't, with this frank passage from the composer's letter to his equally gay brother Modest.

I am now going through a very critical period of my life. I will go into more detail later, but for now I will simply tell you, I have decided to get married. It is unavoidable. I must do it, not just for myself but for you, Modest, and all those I love. I think that for both of us our dispositions are the greatest and most insuperable obstacle to happiness, and we must fight our natures to the best of our ability. So far as I am concerned, I will do my utmost to get married this year, and if I lack the necessary courage, I will at any rate abandon my habits forever. Surely you realise how painful it is for me to know that people pity and forgive me when in truth I am not guilty of anything. How appalling to think that those who love me are sometimes ashamed of me. In short, I seek marriage or some sort of public involvement with a woman so as to shut the mouths of assorted contemptible creatures whose opinions mean nothing to me, but who are in a position to cause distress to those near to me.

For more such 'evidence', one need only look at the letters to 'Bob' Davidov and later confessions to Modest. Medinsky's comments, made in reference to a new non-gay biopic – produced, of course, o the back of Russian government funding – sits at odds with the findings of every respectable musicologist and historian. It is on their findings, rather than 'official' trash from the Russian government, that I have based my programme note for the Met's production of Eugene Onegin – let's hope Anna Netrebko and Valery Gergiev read it when the production opens on Monday –  and my pre-performance talks on Tchaikovsky 'Manfred' Symphony, at Symphony Hall next Wednesday and Friday. Tchaikovsky was gay. He suffered because of his 'true nature'. That he did meant that he created music of great passion and compassion. The least we can do, given his suffering, is acknowledge the origins of his music's emotional power.

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