Tchaikovsky demonstrates the inseparability of the composer’s music from his life, as each moment of happiness and tragedy is expressed through the magnificent ballets, operas, symphonies and love songs that flow from his pen. These masterpieces become an integral part of the film, given cinematic expression through Talankin’s sure-handed direction and the lavish resources afforded him by Mosfilm Studios. The resulting film evokes such spectacles as Amadeus and Doctor Zhivago, a lavish cinematic symphony of choreographed sound and image, filmed at great expense in Russia, France and England.

For composer Tiomkin (1894-1979), Tchaikovsky was a project of great personal significance. Acting as producer and executive producer, while also arranging and conducting the score, it took four years for him to bring the Russian-American co-production to fruition. It would be the final motion picture project from the man who penned the scores for such classic films as Hitchcock’s Shadow Of A Doubt, Hawks’ Red River and Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. —Kino International