Imagine conducting an orchestra with one hand… because the other is holding your head in place. In this episode of Opus of Obsession, Ms. Shirley unpacks the true story of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s bizarre and very real fear that his head might fall off — and how it played out in performances of his Serenade for Strings. Discover the turbulent years leading up to 1880, the elegance of this beloved work, and the very human anxieties behind its creation. Hear the Serenade for Strings now on our “Opus of Obsession” playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.

This isn’t your music history class. These are the stories they didn’t teach you.

Hosted by Ms. Shirley, your fellow classical music lover, Opus of Obsession pulls back the velvet curtain on the passions, scandals, heartbreaks, and quirks behind history’s greatest composers and their works. Each episode blends rich historical research with engaging storytelling — from secret love affairs to disastrous premieres, eccentric habits to lifelong rivalries — paired with handpicked music recommendations.

Discover the human drama hidden inside the world’s most beautiful melodies… and hear the pieces in a whole new way on our “Opus of Obsession” playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.

This is under our “Opus of Obsession” segments for season two of All Around Classical.

In 1877, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky entered a marriage that collapsed in six weeks—and out of that crisis came a symphony forged in struggle. In this episode of Opus of Obsession, Ms. Shirley traces how the fallout from his union with Antonina Milyukova fed directly into Symphony No. 4 in F minor, dedicated to his patron Nadezhda von Meck. Tchaikovsky’s own letters call the opening fanfare Fate—the force that crashes happiness before it can bloom. Hear the human story behind the music, then listen to the symphony anew on our “Opus of Obsession” playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.