Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) himself conducted in St. Petersburg in October 1893, the premiere of the Symphony No. 6 in B minor, known as the Pathétique, his last work. The public reception was cold. Tchaikovsky died a few days later. It is now believed that the work was inspired by the composer's unhappy passion for his nephew Vladimir, to whom it is dedicated. It is a score with a new form, which ends with a slow movement - this innovation has long shocked. Mixing archives, readings of Tchaikovsky's diaries and interviews with personalities from the musical world, the film traces the singular history of the Pathétique. It also provides a musical analysis, under the fingers of the pianist and composer Alexandre Raskatov and under the baton of the conductor of the Novosibirsk orchestra, Arnold Kats.
