Letter 508a - Revision history

Tony: Added comma for ease of reading

2024-03-25T15:09:08Z

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	\|Translated text={{right\|{{datestyle\|[[Moscow]]\|25 October\|6 November\|1876}} }}		\|Translated text={{right\|{{datestyle\|[[Moscow]]\|25 October\|6 November\|1876}} }}
	{{centre\|Dear maestro and friend!}}		{{centre\|Dear maestro and friend!}}
	You had the extreme kindness to ask me for some composition of mine which could be played in [[Brussels]] under your direction. If I have so far failed to send you anything, it is because I was uncertain as to which of my works would be the most suitable to introduce me to the enlightened public of your capital. I have three symphonies, of which [[Symphony No. 1\|the first]] is engraved in full score only, [[Symphony No. 2\|the second]] only in an arrangement for piano, and it is only [[Symphony No. 3\|the third]] which is soon going to be engraved in a comprehensive fashion (full score and orchestral parts). It is also the latter which I consider to be the best, or at least the most mature, of the three. Apart from that I have a concert ''overture'' ("''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''"), a symphonic fantasia ("''[[The Tempest]]''"), another such fantasia entitled "''[[Francesca da Rimini]]''", and various overtures and pieces extracted from my operas. On mature deliberation it is the "''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''" overture which, of all my works, I believe to have the greatest chance of being able to please foreign audiences. A ''symphony'' by a completely unknown author never inspires confidence. The public says: there are so many famous composers; why should we have to be bored for an hour with the work of an unknown one? An overture is a different matter. If it fails to please, people say that after all it did just last a brief quarter of an hour. And so it is this particular overture which I submit to your benevolent attention. It has been engraved by ''[[Bote & Bock]]'' in [[Berlin]], and I have written to the director of this firm to ask him to send you the full score and individual parts as soon as possible. However, if you would like something else, I am, as you might reasonably expect, willing to oblige you. In that case I shall send you, in accordance with your choice, that composition of mine which you would like, only it will have to be in the form of a handwritten full score and individual parts. As for the [[Third Symphony]], I shall send it to you as soon as it is ready.		You had the extreme kindness to ask me for some composition of mine which could be played in [[Brussels]] under your direction. If I have so far failed to send you anything, it is because I was uncertain as to which of my works would be the most suitable to introduce me to the enlightened public of your capital. I have three symphonies, of which [[Symphony No. 1\|the first]] is engraved in full score only, [[Symphony No. 2\|the second]] only in an arrangement for piano, and it is only [[Symphony No. 3\|the third]] which is soon going to be engraved in a comprehensive fashion (full score and orchestral parts). It is also the latter which I consider to be the best, or at least the most mature, of the three. Apart from that I have a concert ''overture'' ("''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''"), a symphonic fantasia ("''[[The Tempest]]''"), another such fantasia entitled "''[[Francesca da Rimini]]''", and various overtures and pieces extracted from my operas. On mature deliberation, it is the "''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''" overture which, of all my works, I believe to have the greatest chance of being able to please foreign audiences. A ''symphony'' by a completely unknown author never inspires confidence. The public says: there are so many famous composers; why should we have to be bored for an hour with the work of an unknown one? An overture is a different matter. If it fails to please, people say that after all it did just last a brief quarter of an hour. And so it is this particular overture which I submit to your benevolent attention. It has been engraved by ''[[Bote & Bock]]'' in [[Berlin]], and I have written to the director of this firm to ask him to send you the full score and individual parts as soon as possible. However, if you would like something else, I am, as you might reasonably expect, willing to oblige you. In that case I shall send you, in accordance with your choice, that composition of mine which you would like, only it will have to be in the form of a handwritten full score and individual parts. As for the [[Third Symphony]], I shall send it to you as soon as it is ready.

	Please, my dear and splendid friend, give me a word in reply, and be assured that I shall always remain your devoted and profoundly grateful.		Please, my dear and splendid friend, give me a word in reply, and be assured that I shall always remain your devoted and profoundly grateful.

Brett: 1 revision imported

2022-07-12T12:19:52Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 14:19, 12 July 2022
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Brett: /* Notes and References */

2022-03-06T21:34:01Z

Notes and References

New page

{{letterhead
|Date=25 October/6 November 1876
|To=[[Joseph Dupont]]
|Place=[[Moscow]]
|Language=French
|Autograph={{locunknown}} <ref name="note1"/>
|Publication={{bib|2011/13|Tchaikovsky Research Bulletin No. 1}} (February 2011), p. 20-21 (with English translation, p. 21)<br/>{{bibx|2013/36|Чайковский. Новые материалы к творческой биографии}} (2013), p. 284-285 (with Russian translation, p. 285-286)
|Notes=Photocopy in [[Paris]] (France): {{F-Pn}} <ref name="note2"/>
}}

<div align="center">''Click on a thumbnail below to enlarge''<br/>Reproduced by kind permission of the Artcurial auction-house, Paris
<gallery align="center">
File:0508a p1.jpg|Page 1
File:0508a p2-3.jpg|Pages 2 and 3
</gallery></div>

==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=French
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{right|{{datestyle|Moscou le|25 Octobre|6 Novembre|1876}} }}
{{centre|Cher maître et ami!}}
Vous avez eu l'{{sic|extrème|extrême}} bonté de m'avoir demandé quelque composition à moi qui eut pu être jouée sous Votre direction à {{sic|Bruxelle|Bruxelles}}. Si jusqu'à présent je ne V[ou]s ai rien {{sic|expedié|expédié}}, c'est que j'étais dans l'indécision: laquelle de mes œuvres serait la plus propre à me présenter au public {{sic|eclairé|éclairé}} de Votre capitale. J'ai trois {{sic|simphonie|simphonies}} dont la premiere n'est gravée qu'en partition, la deuxième qu'en arrangement de piano et ce n'est que la troisième qui va être {{sic|bientot|bientôt}} gravée (partition et parties séparées), d'une manière complète. C'est celle aussi que je considère comme la meilleure, du moins comme la plus mûre des trois. Outre cela j'ai une ouverture de concert (''Roméo et {{sic|Juillette|Juliette}}'', une fantaisie simphonique (''La tempête'') une autre intitulée '' Francesca da Rimini'', des ouvertures et des morceaux {{sic|détachées|détachés}} de mes opéras. Après mûre réflexion c'est l'ouverture de ''Roméo et {{sic|Juillette|Juliette}}'' que je crois de toutes mes choses celle qui a le plus de chances pour plaire {{sic|au|aux}} publics étrangers. Une ''simphonie'' d'un auteur complètement inconnu inspire toujours de la défiance. Le public dit : il y en a tant de {{sic|cèlèbres|célèbres}}, pourquoi veut on nous {{sic|ennuier|ennuyer}} pendant une heure avec l'œuvre d'un inconnu? Une ouverture — c'est {{sic|différend|différent}}. Si elle {{sic|à deplu|a déplu}} on se dit qu'après tout c'a n'a duré qu'un petit quart d'heure. Ainsi donc c'est l'ouverture en question que je recommande à votre bienveillante attention. Elle est gravée chez ''Bote & Bock'' à Berlin et j'ai écrit au chef de cette maison pour qu'il V[ou]s [en] envoie au plus vite la partition et les {{sic|partie|parties}} {{sic|sèparèes|séparées}}. Cependant si V[ou]s teniez à autre chose, je suis, comme de raison, {{sic|prèt|prêt}} à V[ou]s servir. Dans ce cas je V[ou]s enverrai, selon Votre choix[,] telle de mes compositions que V[ou]s voudrez, mais pas autrement qu'en partition et parties {{sic|separés|séparées}} {{sic|ecrites|écrites}}. Quant à la troisième simphonie dès que ce sera {{sic|prèt|prêt}} je V[ou]s l'{{sic|expedierai|expédierai}}.

Veuillez donc, cher et excellent ami[,] me donner un mot de réponse et sachez que dans tous les cas je suis et je serai Votre ami fidèle et profondément reconnaissant
{{right|P. Tchaïkovsky}}

|Translated text={{right|{{datestyle|[[Moscow]]|25 October|6 November|1876}} }}
{{centre|Dear maestro and friend!}}
You had the extreme kindness to ask me for some composition of mine which could be played in [[Brussels]] under your direction. If I have so far failed to send you anything, it is because I was uncertain as to which of my works would be the most suitable to introduce me to the enlightened public of your capital. I have three symphonies, of which [[Symphony No. 1|the first]] is engraved in full score only, [[Symphony No. 2|the second]] only in an arrangement for piano, and it is only [[Symphony No. 3|the third]] which is soon going to be engraved in a comprehensive fashion (full score and orchestral parts). It is also the latter which I consider to be the best, or at least the most mature, of the three. Apart from that I have a concert ''overture'' ("''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''"), a symphonic fantasia ("''[[The Tempest]]''"), another such fantasia entitled "''[[Francesca da Rimini]]''", and various overtures and pieces extracted from my operas. On mature deliberation it is the "''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''" overture which, of all my works, I believe to have the greatest chance of being able to please foreign audiences. A ''symphony'' by a completely unknown author never inspires confidence. The public says: there are so many famous composers; why should we have to be bored for an hour with the work of an unknown one? An overture is a different matter. If it fails to please, people say that after all it did just last a brief quarter of an hour. And so it is this particular overture which I submit to your benevolent attention. It has been engraved by ''[[Bote & Bock]]'' in [[Berlin]], and I have written to the director of this firm to ask him to send you the full score and individual parts as soon as possible. However, if you would like something else, I am, as you might reasonably expect, willing to oblige you. In that case I shall send you, in accordance with your choice, that composition of mine which you would like, only it will have to be in the form of a handwritten full score and individual parts. As for the [[Third Symphony]], I shall send it to you as soon as it is ready.

Please, my dear and splendid friend, give me a word in reply, and be assured that I shall always remain your devoted and profoundly grateful.
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
}}

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">The autograph was advertised for auction on 15 March 2022 in Monte Carlo by Hermitage Fine Art [https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/tchaikovsky-p-i-1840-1893-autograph-handwritten-l-339-c-33d4593ad6]; it had previously been sold on 20 November 2020 by Aguttes, [[Paris]] [http://catalogue.gazette-drouot.com/pdf/78/107349/CAT_ARISTOPHIL-MUSIQUE_20201120_MEL.pdf], having formerly been in the collection the {{F-Pmlm}} in the French capital, and was previously sold on 14 December 2010 by Artcurial, [[Paris]].</ref>
<ref name="note2">See http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb398284907/PUBLIC </ref>
</references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0508a}}