Letter 1774 - Revision history

Tony: "Italianisation" for consistency

2024-08-24T11:23:41Z

"Italianisation" for consistency

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:23, 24 August 2024
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	\|Translated text={{right\|''[[Kamenka]]''<br/>4 June}}		\|Translated text={{right\|''[[Kamenka]]''<br/>4 June}}
	{{centre\|Most respected [[Sergey Flerov\|Sergey Vasilyevich]]!}}		{{centre\|Most respected [[Sergey Flerov\|Sergey Vasilyevich]]!}}
	''[[Vadim Peresleni]]'', the author of the verses, is a younger brother of those two boys, you may remember. Everything that you say about his works is completely true <ref name="note1"/>, and I was sure beforehand that you would recognise them as not being sufficiently mature to print. I will inform him today of your advice to resist the urge ''to print'' and to wait. Thank you, [[Sergey Flerov\|Sergey Vasilyevich]] for the sympathetic reviews (both public and private) of my vocal items. ''I cannot agree with your comment about the "Scottish Ballad"''<ref name="note2"/>. Had I been wallowing inappropriately in lyrical chanting about ''patricide'', then this would have been a mistake. But in fact I merely wrote the music to illustrate a highly characteristic ballad, which is also ''sung'', and not spoken, by the Scottish people. As regards "''Well, pray''" <ref name="note3"/>, then this is a perfectly correct remark, and I shall certainly make use of it, if at some point it comes to a 2nd edition. I am afraid that my [[All-Night Vigil\|Vespers]] will disappoint you. My role in them is not as an independent artist, rather merely an ''interpreter'' of our ancient church melodies. Although I will not satisfy those who are expecting poetical impressions from this work, still perhaps I may render a serious service to our liturgical singing, in the sense that, so far as possible, I will be contributing to its purification from foreign influences that have become deep-seated in it as a consequence of various Italian artists, and their students, from the last century. In the ''[[Liturgy]]'', I surrendered myself utterly to my own artistic urges. The ''[[All-Night Vigil\|Vespers]]'' will be an attempt to return property which had once belonged to our church, but was removed from it by force. In doing so I have attempted to avoid extremes, i.e. no bold and fanciful ideas about ''recreating'' the ancient ways of church singing and escaping the bonds of Europeanism — while not surrendering to the traditions of ''~~Italianization~~'' of our melodies established since [[Bortnyansky]]'s time. This will be an eclectic work. However, I do not lose hope that you will be left satisfied with its artistic aspects.		''[[Vadim Peresleni]]'', the author of the verses, is a younger brother of those two boys, you may remember. Everything that you say about his works is completely true <ref name="note1"/>, and I was sure beforehand that you would recognise them as not being sufficiently mature to print. I will inform him today of your advice to resist the urge ''to print'' and to wait. Thank you, [[Sergey Flerov\|Sergey Vasilyevich]] for the sympathetic reviews (both public and private) of my vocal items. ''I cannot agree with your comment about the "Scottish Ballad"''<ref name="note2"/>. Had I been wallowing inappropriately in lyrical chanting about ''patricide'', then this would have been a mistake. But in fact I merely wrote the music to illustrate a highly characteristic ballad, which is also ''sung'', and not spoken, by the Scottish people. As regards "''Well, pray''" <ref name="note3"/>, then this is a perfectly correct remark, and I shall certainly make use of it, if at some point it comes to a 2nd edition. I am afraid that my [[All-Night Vigil\|Vespers]] will disappoint you. My role in them is not as an independent artist, rather merely as an ''interpreter'' of our ancient church melodies. Although I will not satisfy those who are expecting poetical impressions from this work, still perhaps I may render a serious service to our liturgical singing, in the sense that, so far as possible, I will be contributing to its purification from foreign influences that have become deep-seated in it as a consequence of various Italian artists, and their students, from the last century. In the ''[[Liturgy]]'', I surrendered myself utterly to my own artistic urges. The ''[[All-Night Vigil\|Vespers]]'' will be an attempt to return property which had once belonged to our church, but was removed from it by force. In doing so I have attempted to avoid extremes, i.e. no bold and fanciful ideas about ''recreating'' the ancient ways of church singing and escaping the bonds of Europeanism — while not surrendering to the traditions of ''Italianisation'' of our melodies established since [[Bortnyansky]]'s time. This will be an eclectic work. However, I do not lose hope that you will be left satisfied with its artistic aspects.

	Until we meet, most kind [[Sergey Flerov\|Sergey Vasilyevich]].		Until we meet, most kind [[Sergey Flerov\|Sergey Vasilyevich]].
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	<ref name="note1">Letter from [[Sergey Flerov]] to Tchaikovsky, dated 23 May/4 June 1881 — published in {{bib\|1940/234) (1940), p. 462-463.</ref>		<ref name="note1">Letter from [[Sergey Flerov]] to Tchaikovsky, dated 23 May/4 June 1881 — published in {{bib\|1940/234) (1940), p. 462-463.</ref>
	<ref name="note2">No. 2 of the [[Six Duets, Op. 46]].</ref>		<ref name="note2">No. 2 of the [[Six Duets, Op. 46]].</ref>
	<ref name="note3">[[Sergey Flerov\|Flerov]] had suggested the last verse of the duet ''Dawn'', Op. 46, No. 6, should end with the words "Oh, pray...", instead of "Well, pray...". However, this revision was not ultimately made in later editions of the duets.</ref>		<ref name="note3">[[Sergey Flerov\|Flerov]] had suggested that the last verse of the duet ''Dawn'', Op. 46, No. 6, should end with the words "Oh, pray...", instead of "Well, pray...". However, this revision was not ultimately made in later editions of the duets.</ref>
	</references>		</references>

Brett: 1 revision imported

2022-07-12T12:20:03Z

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← Older revision	Revision as of 14:20, 12 July 2022
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Brett at 15:03, 5 December 2019

2019-12-05T15:03:46Z

New page

{{letterhead
|Date=4/16 June 1881
|To=[[Sergey Flerov]]
|Place=[[Kamenka]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Moscow]] (Russia): {{RUS-Mcl}} (ф. 905)
|Publication={{bibx|1893/14|Русское обозрение}} (November 1893), p. 453 (abridged)<br/>{{bib|1966/44|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том X}} (1966), p. 130–131
}}
==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{right|''Каменка''<br/>4 июня}}
{{centre|Многоуважаемый Сергей Васильевич!}}
Автор стихотворений ''Вадим Переслени'' родной младший брат тех двух мальчиков, которых Вы помните. Все, что Вы говорите о его произведениях, совершенно верно, и я заранее был уверен, что Вы признаете их недостаточно зрелыми для печати. Сегодня же сообщу ему Ваш совет удержаться от стремления ''печататься'' и подождать. Благодарю Вас, Сергей Васильевич, за сочувственные (печатный и частный) отзывы о моих вокальных вещицах. ''С замечанием Вашим о «шотландской балладе» не могу согласиться''. Если б я по поводу ''отцеубийства'' предался бы неуместному лирическому воспеванию, то это была бы ошибка. Но ведь я просто написал музыкальную иллюстрацию к высшей степени характерной балладе, которая и шотландским народом тоже ''поётся'', а не говорится. Что касается «''ну, молись''», то это совершенно верное замечание, и я непременно воспользуюсь им, если дело, когда-нибудь дойдёт до 2-го издания. Боюсь, что моя Всенощная разочарует Вас. Я явлюсь в ней вовсе не самостоятельным художником, а лишь ''перелагателем'' древних наших церковных напевов. Если я не удовлетворю тех, которые ожидают от этого труда поэтических впечатлений, то зато, быть может, окажу серьёзную услугу нашему богослужебному пению в том смысле, что по мере сил буду способствовать к отрезвлению его от чуждых элементов, глубоко вкоренившихся в него вследствие деятельности разных итальянцев прошлого века и их учеников. В ''Литургии'' я совершенно подчинился своему собственному артистическому побуждению. ''Всенощная'' же будет попыткой возвратить нашей церкви её собственность, насильно от нея отторгнутую. При этом я старался избегать крайностей, т. е. вовсе не задавался смелой мыслью ''воссоздать'' древний способ церковного пения и выбиться из пут европеизма — но и не подчинился установившимся со времён Бортнянского традициям ''итальяониэирования'' наших напевов. Это будет труд эклектический. Впрочем, нe теряю надежды, что Вы останетесь довольны и с художественной стороны.

До свидания, добрейший Сергей Васильевич.

Искренно уважающий Вас,
{{right|П. Чайковский}}

|Translated text={{right|''[[Kamenka]]''<br/>4 June}}
{{centre|Most respected [[Sergey Flerov|Sergey Vasilyevich]]!}}
''[[Vadim Peresleni]]'', the author of the verses, is a younger brother of those two boys, you may remember. Everything that you say about his works is completely true <ref name="note1"/>, and I was sure beforehand that you would recognise them as not being sufficiently mature to print. I will inform him today of your advice to resist the urge ''to print'' and to wait. Thank you, [[Sergey Flerov|Sergey Vasilyevich]] for the sympathetic reviews (both public and private) of my vocal items. ''I cannot agree with your comment about the "Scottish Ballad"''<ref name="note2"/>. Had I been wallowing inappropriately in lyrical chanting about ''patricide'', then this would have been a mistake. But in fact I merely wrote the music to illustrate a highly characteristic ballad, which is also ''sung'', and not spoken, by the Scottish people. As regards "''Well, pray''" <ref name="note3"/>, then this is a perfectly correct remark, and I shall certainly make use of it, if at some point it comes to a 2nd edition. I am afraid that my [[All-Night Vigil|Vespers]] will disappoint you. My role in them is not as an independent artist, rather merely an ''interpreter'' of our ancient church melodies. Although I will not satisfy those who are expecting poetical impressions from this work, still perhaps I may render a serious service to our liturgical singing, in the sense that, so far as possible, I will be contributing to its purification from foreign influences that have become deep-seated in it as a consequence of various Italian artists, and their students, from the last century. In the ''[[Liturgy]]'', I surrendered myself utterly to my own artistic urges. The ''[[All-Night Vigil|Vespers]]'' will be an attempt to return property which had once belonged to our church, but was removed from it by force. In doing so I have attempted to avoid extremes, i.e. no bold and fanciful ideas about ''recreating'' the ancient ways of church singing and escaping the bonds of Europeanism — while not surrendering to the traditions of ''Italianization'' of our melodies established since [[Bortnyansky]]'s time. This will be an eclectic work. However, I do not lose hope that you will be left satisfied with its artistic aspects.

Until we meet, most kind [[Sergey Flerov|Sergey Vasilyevich]].

With sincere respect for you,
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
}}
==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">Letter from [[Sergey Flerov]] to Tchaikovsky, dated 23 May/4 June 1881 — published in {{bib|1940/234) (1940), p. 462-463.</ref>
<ref name="note2">No. 2 of the [[Six Duets, Op. 46]].</ref>
<ref name="note3">[[Sergey Flerov|Flerov]] had suggested the last verse of the duet ''Dawn'', Op. 46, No. 6, should end with the words "Oh, pray...", instead of "Well, pray...". However, this revision was not ultimately made in later editions of the duets.</ref>
</references>