Letter 83 - Revision history

Tony: Text replacement - "they" to "the" for clarity of meaning

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Text replacement - "they" to "the" for clarity of meaning

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	Dear brothers! Please don't spoil me with letters; writing to me once a week is preferable, but in more detail and something more akin to a diary. You know how much I like stories about the School? That way I will have a more complete idea of everything you are doing, while now I'm continually taxing my mind attempting to imagine you in this or that situation. I shall also write to you fastidiously once a week, or sometimes twice.		Dear brothers! Please don't spoil me with letters; writing to me once a week is preferable, but in more detail and something more akin to a diary. You know how much I like stories about the School? That way I will have a more complete idea of everything you are doing, while now I'm continually taxing my mind attempting to imagine you in this or that situation. I shall also write to you fastidiously once a week, or sometimes twice.

	I've just come from a conservatory professors' meeting and lunch, which on this occasion was given by Musical Society director Lanin <ref name="note1"/>. In general the staff here will be markedly inferior to [[Petersburg]], but there are two or three decent fellows. I get along with all of them, to varying degrees, but in particular with [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]], [[Kashkin]] (a friend of [[Laroche]]), [[Albrecht]] and Osberg <ref name="note2"/>. I've also made friends with one of the directors, Torletsky <ref name="note3"/>, a well-known bigwig; the other day I even went to one of his soirées. I was very surprised this evening to meet Schaefer <ref name="note4"/>, the former technology student, who is frightfully grown up and married to one of the young local girls, who's much older than him. I also became acquainted with another Tchaikovsky family, and ate an awful lot, but declined to take part in the dancing, even though [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]] was in evening dress. The aforementioned looks after me like a nanny, and certainly wishes me to play up to that role. Today he thrust 6 brand new shirts upon me (don't tell this to the Davydovs or anyone), and tomorrow he wants to drag me out by force to order new clothes. In general he's an astonishingly nice fellow — it's just that I don't understand what he's done to deserve his reputation as a towering musical authority here. He's a very ordinary musician, and can't be compared with his brother. I must reveal that the list of my friends here includes Agafon, [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]]'s lackey, a venerable old man, and a delightful white cat, who's sitting with me at this very moment, while I'm passionately caressing her. The most pleasant way I pass the time is to dream about the summer; lately I've developed a strong affection for [[Sasha]], [[Lev]] and their children, and have decided to spend the summer together with them and you. It's especially ideal for me that they live on their own country estate, but don't tell ~~they~~ Davydovs this as they could be offended. I'm also thinking a lot about you and the wisdom of abstinence during Lent. I wrote to [[Papa]] yesterday, and am about to write a long (second) letter to [[Avdotya Bakhireva\|Avdotya Yakovlevna]] <ref name="note5"/>; I received a letter from her that was so imbued with strong and sincere affection, that I was terribly moved and felt morally obliged to write to her more often. In a future letter I'll be writing to you to talk seriously about a matter that weighs heavily on my heart <ref name="note6"/>.		I've just come from a conservatory professors' meeting and lunch, which on this occasion was given by Musical Society director Lanin <ref name="note1"/>. In general the staff here will be markedly inferior to [[Petersburg]], but there are two or three decent fellows. I get along with all of them, to varying degrees, but in particular with [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]], [[Kashkin]] (a friend of [[Laroche]]), [[Albrecht]] and Osberg <ref name="note2"/>. I've also made friends with one of the directors, Torletsky <ref name="note3"/>, a well-known bigwig; the other day I even went to one of his soirées. I was very surprised this evening to meet Schaefer <ref name="note4"/>, the former technology student, who is frightfully grown up and married to one of the young local girls, who's much older than him. I also became acquainted with another Tchaikovsky family, and ate an awful lot, but declined to take part in the dancing, even though [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]] was in evening dress. The aforementioned looks after me like a nanny, and certainly wishes me to play up to that role. Today he thrust 6 brand new shirts upon me (don't tell this to the Davydovs or anyone), and tomorrow he wants to drag me out by force to order new clothes. In general he's an astonishingly nice fellow — it's just that I don't understand what he's done to deserve his reputation as a towering musical authority here. He's a very ordinary musician, and can't be compared with his brother. I must reveal that the list of my friends here includes Agafon, [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]]'s lackey, a venerable old man, and a delightful white cat, who's sitting with me at this very moment, while I'm passionately caressing her. The most pleasant way I pass the time is to dream about the summer; lately I've developed a strong affection for [[Sasha]], [[Lev]] and their children, and have decided to spend the summer together with them and you. It's especially ideal for me that they live on their own country estate, but don't tell the Davydovs this as they could be offended. I'm also thinking a lot about you and the wisdom of abstinence during Lent. I wrote to [[Papa]] yesterday, and am about to write a long (second) letter to [[Avdotya Bakhireva\|Avdotya Yakovlevna]] <ref name="note5"/>; I received a letter from her that was so imbued with strong and sincere affection that I was terribly moved and felt morally obliged to write to her more often. In a future letter I'll be writing to you to talk seriously about a matter that weighs heavily on my heart <ref name="note6"/>.
	{{right\|P. Tchaikovsky}}		{{right\|P. Tchaikovsky}}
	Please, bow to [[Ippolit]] for me, and tell him not to be angry with me for not having found the time to say goodbye to him.		Please, bow to [[Ippolit]] for me, and tell him not to be angry with me for not having found the time to say goodbye to him.

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Text and Translation

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{{letterhead
|Date=23 January/4 February 1866
|To=[[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]] and [[Modest Tchaikovsky]]
|Place=[[Moscow]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph={{locunknown}}
|Publication={{bib|1900/35|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1900), p. 230–231 (abridged)<br/>{{bib|1940/210|П. И. Чайковский. Письма к родным ; том 1}} (1940), p. 77–78 <br/>{{bib|1955/37|П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким}} (1955), p. 25–26 <br/>{{bib|1959/50|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том V}} (1959), p. 96–97 <br/>{{bib|1981/81| Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Letters to his family. An autobiography}} (1981), p. 23–24 (English translation)
|Notes=Manuscript copy in [[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0083}}
==Text and Translation==
Based on a handwritten copy in the [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive, which may contain differences in formatting and content from Tchaikovsky's original letter.
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{right|23 января 1866 г[ода]}}
Милые братья! Вы, пожалуйста, не слишком разоряйтесь на письма; пишите мне лучше раз в неделю, да поподробнее и побольше, что-нибудь вроде дневника; Вы знаете, как я люблю рассказы про Училище? Таким образом я буду иметь понятие о всем, что Вы делаете, а то теперь я постоянно делаю напряжение над своим умом, стараясь вообразить Вас в том или другом положении. Я буду тоже писать Вам аккуратно раз в неделю, а иногда и два.

Я только что приехал с совещания профессоров консерватории и обеда, который по этому случаю давал директор Музыкального общества Ланин. Вообще состав здешней консерватории будет стоять гораздо ниже петербургского. Но есть два-три порядочных человека. Я со всеми, впрочем, в отличных отношениях, но особенно успел сойтись с Рубиншт[ейном], Кашкиным (друг Лароша), Альбрехтом и Осбергом. Также подружился с одним из директоров, Торлецким, известным богачом; на днях даже был у него на вечере. Я очень удивился при встрече на этом вечере с бывшим технологом Шефером, он ужасно вырос и женится на одной здешней барышне, которая гораздо старше его. Также я познакомился с семейством каких-то Чайковских, ел ужасно много, в танцах, конечно, не принимал участия, хотя был во фраке Рубинштейна. Этот последний ухаживает за мной, как нянька, и хочет непременно исполнять при мне эту должность. Сегодня он подарил мне насильно 6 рубашек, совершенно новых (не говорите этого Давыдовым и никому), а завтра хочет насильно везти заказывать платье. Вообще это удивительно милый человек, — только я не понимаю, чем он заслужил здесь свой громадный музыкальный авторитет. Музыкант он очень обыкновенный, с братом его и сравнивать нельзя. Не могу умолчать при перечне моих здешних друзей об Агафоне, лакее Рубинштейна. препочтенном старике, и о прелестной белой кошке, которая и в эту минуту сидит у меня, и я её страстно ласкаю. Самое приятное препровождение времени для меня — мечты об лете; в последнее время я воспылал сильною нежностью к Саше, Леве и их детям и решился лето провести у них вместе с Вами. Особенно сладостна для меня мечта, что они будут жить в своей собственной деревне, и этого не говорите Давыдовым, они могут обидеться. О свидании с Вами на святой тоже много думаю; насчёт масленицы благоразумие велит воздержаться. К Папаше писал вчера, а сейчас написал длинное (второе) письмо к Авдотье Як[овлевне]; я получил от неё письмо, дышащее такою сильною и искреннею любовью, что был ужасно тронут и обязал себя нравственно писать ей часто. В будущем письме я буду с Вами говорить очень серьёзно об одном деле, которое у меня сильно лежит на душе.
{{right|П. Чайковский}}
Пожалуйста, кланяйтесь от меня Ипполиту и скажите, чтобы он не сердился на меня за то, что не успел с ним проститься.

|Translated text={{right|23 January 1866}}
Dear brothers! Please don't spoil me with letters; writing to me once a week is preferable, but in more detail and something more akin to a diary. You know how much I like stories about the School? That way I will have a more complete idea of everything you are doing, while now I'm continually taxing my mind attempting to imagine you in this or that situation. I shall also write to you fastidiously once a week, or sometimes twice.

I've just come from a conservatory professors' meeting and lunch, which on this occasion was given by Musical Society director Lanin <ref name="note1"/>. In general the staff here will be markedly inferior to [[Petersburg]], but there are two or three decent fellows. I get along with all of them, to varying degrees, but in particular with [[Nikolay Rubinstein|Rubinstein]], [[Kashkin]] (a friend of [[Laroche]]), [[Albrecht]] and Osberg <ref name="note2"/>. I've also made friends with one of the directors, Torletsky <ref name="note3"/>, a well-known bigwig; the other day I even went to one of his soirées. I was very surprised this evening to meet Schaefer <ref name="note4"/>, the former technology student, who is frightfully grown up and married to one of the young local girls, who's much older than him. I also became acquainted with another Tchaikovsky family, and ate an awful lot, but declined to take part in the dancing, even though [[Nikolay Rubinstein|Rubinstein]] was in evening dress. The aforementioned looks after me like a nanny, and certainly wishes me to play up to that role. Today he thrust 6 brand new shirts upon me (don't tell this to the Davydovs or anyone), and tomorrow he wants to drag me out by force to order new clothes. In general he's an astonishingly nice fellow — it's just that I don't understand what he's done to deserve his reputation as a towering musical authority here. He's a very ordinary musician, and can't be compared with his brother. I must reveal that the list of my friends here includes Agafon, [[Nikolay Rubinstein|Rubinstein]]'s lackey, a venerable old man, and a delightful white cat, who's sitting with me at this very moment, while I'm passionately caressing her. The most pleasant way I pass the time is to dream about the summer; lately I've developed a strong affection for [[Sasha]], [[Lev]] and their children, and have decided to spend the summer together with them and you. It's especially ideal for me that they live on their own country estate, but don't tell they Davydovs this as they could be offended. I'm also thinking a lot about you and the wisdom of abstinence during Lent. I wrote to [[Papa]] yesterday, and am about to write a long (second) letter to [[Avdotya Bakhireva|Avdotya Yakovlevna]] <ref name="note5"/>; I received a letter from her that was so imbued with strong and sincere affection, that I was terribly moved and felt morally obliged to write to her more often. In a future letter I'll be writing to you to talk seriously about a matter that weighs heavily on my heart <ref name="note6"/>.
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
Please, bow to [[Ippolit]] for me, and tell him not to be angry with me for not having found the time to say goodbye to him.
}}

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">Nikolay Petrovich Lanin (1830-1896), director of the [[Moscow]] branch of the Russian Musical Society from 1864 to 1867.</ref>
<ref name="note2">Adolf Romanovich Osberg, singing tutor at the [[Moscow]] Conservatory until his death in 1869.</ref>
<ref name="note3">Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Toreletsky (1820-1879), member of the [[Moscow]] district council.</ref>
<ref name="note4">Herman Schafer, an acquaintance of Tchaikovsky's from [[Saint Petersburg]], who graduated from the Technological Institute there in 1859, and went on to become a mechanical engineer.</ref>
<ref name="note5">None of these three letters have survived. Avdotya Bakhireva (d. 1880) was the governess to [[Anatoly]] and [[Modest Tchaikovsky]] during the 1850s.</ref>
<ref name="note6">The next surviving letter from Tchaikovsky to the twins is [[Letter 84]], dating from 30 January/11 February 1866. As this does not seem to touch on the weighty matter to which Tchaikovsky alluded, it is possible that there was another earlier letter, now lost.</ref>
</references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0083}}