Picture a five-year-old lying in bed, unable to sleep because a melody is stuck in his head. That was young Tchaikovsky. Born on May 7, 1840, in the small Russian town of Votkinsk, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky showed extraordinary musical talent from early childhood. His mother called him a "glass child" because his feelings were so fragile that music alone could make him cry. His parents wanted him to become a lawyer. He tried, but he could not ignore his passion for composing. He entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory to study music. He went on to write some of the most beloved music ever created. His three great ballets -- Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker -- are performed around the world every year. Swan Lake failed at its first performance in 1877. The dancers found the music too difficult. But today it is one of the greatest ballets of all time. Tchaikovsky also wrote symphonies, concertos, and operas. His 1812 Overture includes real cannons as part of the finale.