Letter 858 - Revision history

Tony: Inserted commas for ease of reading

2024-06-06T12:46:07Z

Inserted commas for ease of reading

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:46, 6 June 2024
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	Merci, merci, a hundred thousand times merci! I received your letter with an excellent description of your meeting with [[Antonina Ivanovna]] today.		Merci, merci, a hundred thousand times merci! I received your letter with an excellent description of your meeting with [[Antonina Ivanovna]] today.

	It's a rotten business. Nothing can penetrate this granite wall of stupidity. I cannot wait until she agrees all the formalities of the divorce. And even if she expresses her consent, who will guarantee that during the court proceedings she won't cause some sort of scandal and won't testify that I was an unfaithful husband. She must herself, of her own free will, reach the point where divorce is no less desirable for her than for me, so that she doesn't imagine herself as my benefactor, but on the contrary, that she asks and implores ''me'' to give her consent to a divorce. And I shall wait for this — but she won't receive the ten thousand. I can wait, but the money cannot.		It's a rotten business. Nothing can penetrate this granite wall of stupidity. I cannot wait until she agrees all the formalities of the divorce. And even if she expresses her consent, who will guarantee that during the court proceedings she won't cause some sort of scandal and won't testify that I was an unfaithful husband? She must herself, of her own free will, reach the point where divorce is no less desirable for her than for me, so that she doesn't imagine herself as my benefactor, but on the contrary, that she asks and implores ''me'' to give her consent to a divorce. And I shall wait for this — but she won't receive the ten thousand. I can wait, but the money cannot.

	So this is what I've come up with. Postpone the divorce case until circumstances are more favourable, and make no further attempt at all to solicit her agreement out of kindness. And in the meantime take the ''opportunity'' to pay her a monthly financial subsidy. Accordingly, kindly send that bitch the letter you receive alongside this one, together with a hundred rubles. I've written to her what I'm writing to you, i.e. that the chance to give her 10 thousand has slipped from my hands because of her obstinacy. I give my consent in advance to a divorce, in the event that she ever takes the initiative upon herself — but I forewarn her that she can no longer count on the 10 thousand.		So this is what I've come up with. Postpone the divorce case until circumstances are more favourable, and make no further attempt at all to solicit her agreement out of kindness. And in the meantime take the ''opportunity'' to pay her a monthly financial subsidy. Accordingly, kindly send that bitch the letter you receive alongside this one, together with a hundred rubles. I've written to her what I'm writing to you, i.e. that the chance to give her 10 thousand has slipped from my hands because of her obstinacy. I give my consent in advance to a divorce, in the event that she ever takes the initiative upon herself — but I forewarn her that she can no longer count on the 10 thousand.

	Upon my arrival in [[Moscow]] I'll attempt to see to it that she moves elsewhere.		Upon my arrival in [[Moscow]], I'll attempt to see to it that she moves elsewhere.

	As for the proofs of the waltz, forgive me. I had absolutely no time to look at it, and since [[Arends]] turned up as I was leaving, then I entrusted it to him. As for the pieces I wrote for the violin, I tell you that I can take responsibility for them and be sure of good ~~proof-reading~~ only if you send them to [[Kotek]]. And so, if possible, send the waltz to [[Kotek]], which I dare say won't hold you up. But all the same I'm sorry for the delays you had to put up with because of my procrastination. When I'm quite settled back in [[Moscow]], I hope that we will have no more proofreading misunderstandings.		As for the proofs of the waltz, forgive me. I had absolutely no time to look at it, and since [[Arends]] turned up as I was leaving, then I entrusted it to him. As for the pieces I wrote for the violin, I tell you that I can take responsibility for them and be sure of good proofreading only if you send them to [[Kotek]]. And so, if possible, send the waltz to [[Kotek]], which I dare say won't hold you up. But all the same I'm sorry for the delays you had to put up with because of my procrastination. When I'm quite settled back in [[Moscow]], I hope that we will have no more proofreading misunderstandings.

	I thank fate a hundredfold for deciding to leave [[Moscow]] immediately. Believe it or not I walked around like a madman for several days after a multitude of experiences there, both pleasant and unpleasant.		I thank fate a hundredfold for deciding to leave [[Moscow]] immediately. Believe it or not, I walked around like a madman for several days after a multitude of experiences there, both pleasant and unpleasant.

	Keep well, my dear chap. Please, do not print the opera until I've reviewed the proofs.		Keep well, my dear chap. Please, do not print the opera until I've reviewed the proofs.

Brett: 1 revision imported

2022-07-12T12:28:38Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 14:28, 12 July 2022
(No difference)

Brett at 21:21, 3 October 2020

2020-10-03T21:21:28Z

New page

{{letterhead
|Date=16/28 June 1878
|To=[[Pyotr Jurgenson]]
|Place=[[Kamenka]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}} (a{{sup|3}}, No. 2202)
|Publication={{bib|1938/40|П. И. Чайковский. Переписка с П. И. Юргенсоном ; том 1}} (1938), p. 41<br/>{{bib|1962/102|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VII}} (1962), p. 306–307
}}
==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{right|''Каменка''<br/>16 июня}}
{{centre|Милый друг!}}
Merci, merci, сто тысяч раз merci! Письмо твоё с превосходным описанием твоего свидания с А[нтониной] И[вановной] я получил сегодня.

Дело дрянь. Эту гранитную стену глупости не проймёшь ничем. Ждать, пока она согласится на все формальности развода, нельзя. Да если она и изъявит согласие, кто поручится, что на судоговорении она не отмочит какого-нибудь скандала и не начнёт доказывать, что я не преступил супружеской верности? Нужно, чтобы она сама, своим собственным умом дошла до того, что развод и для неё не менее желателен, чем для меня, чтоб она не воображала себя, моей благодетельницей, а напротив, чтобы просила и умоляла ''меня'' дать ей согласие на развод. И буду ждать этого, — но уж десяти тысяч она не получит. Я-то ждать могу, а деньги ждать не могут.

Итак, вот к чему я пришёл. Отложить дело о разводе до более благоприятных обстоятельств и вовсе не тщиться снова выпрашивать у неё согласие как милости. А покамест по мере ''возможности'' уплачивать ей денежную ежемесячную субсидию. Потрудись, следовательно, вместе с письмом, которое ты получишь в одно время с этим, отправить к этой курве сто рублей. Я написал ей то, что пишу тебе, т. е. что случай дать ей 10 тысяч, по причине её упорства, ускользнул из рук моих. Я заранее даю ей согласие на развод в случае, если когда-нибудь она возьмёт на себя инициативу, — но предваряю её, чтобы на 10 тысяч уже более не рассчитывала.

По приезде в Москву я постараюсь устроить, чтобы она переселилась в другой город.

Насчёт корректуры вальса, прости меня. Я решительно не имел времени просмотреть её, а так как при моем отъезде подвернулся Арендс, то я и поручил ему. Насчёт пиэс, написанных для скрипки, скажу тебе, что я могу отвечать за них и быть уверенным в хорошей корректуре только в том случае, если ты отошлёшь их к Котеку. Итак, если это возможно, пошли и вальс к Котеку, который, наверно, тебя не задержит. Но всё-таки прости за терпимые тобой из-за меня проволочки. Когда я совсем вернусь в Москву, то надеюсь, что корректурных недоразумений у нас больше не будет.

Благодарю стократ судьбу за то, что решился тотчас уехать из Москвы. Веришь ли, я несколько дней ходил как сумасшедший после массы испытанных там впечатлений как приятных, так и неприятных.

Будь здоров, душа моя. Оперу, пожалуйста, не печатай, пока я не просмотрю корректуру.

Я начал переписывать сонату для ф[орте]п[ьяно], сочинённую ещё в Швейцарии. Бедный Юргенсон!..
{{right|Твой П. Чайковский}}

|Translated text={{right|''[[Kamenka]]''<br/>16 June}}
{{centre|Dear friend!}}
Merci, merci, a hundred thousand times merci! I received your letter with an excellent description of your meeting with [[Antonina Ivanovna]] today.

It's a rotten business. Nothing can penetrate this granite wall of stupidity. I cannot wait until she agrees all the formalities of the divorce. And even if she expresses her consent, who will guarantee that during the court proceedings she won't cause some sort of scandal and won't testify that I was an unfaithful husband. She must herself, of her own free will, reach the point where divorce is no less desirable for her than for me, so that she doesn't imagine herself as my benefactor, but on the contrary, that she asks and implores ''me'' to give her consent to a divorce. And I shall wait for this — but she won't receive the ten thousand. I can wait, but the money cannot.

So this is what I've come up with. Postpone the divorce case until circumstances are more favourable, and make no further attempt at all to solicit her agreement out of kindness. And in the meantime take the ''opportunity'' to pay her a monthly financial subsidy. Accordingly, kindly send that bitch the letter you receive alongside this one, together with a hundred rubles. I've written to her what I'm writing to you, i.e. that the chance to give her 10 thousand has slipped from my hands because of her obstinacy. I give my consent in advance to a divorce, in the event that she ever takes the initiative upon herself — but I forewarn her that she can no longer count on the 10 thousand.

Upon my arrival in [[Moscow]] I'll attempt to see to it that she moves elsewhere.

As for the proofs of the waltz, forgive me. I had absolutely no time to look at it, and since [[Arends]] turned up as I was leaving, then I entrusted it to him. As for the pieces I wrote for the violin, I tell you that I can take responsibility for them and be sure of good proof-reading only if you send them to [[Kotek]]. And so, if possible, send the waltz to [[Kotek]], which I dare say won't hold you up. But all the same I'm sorry for the delays you had to put up with because of my procrastination. When I'm quite settled back in [[Moscow]], I hope that we will have no more proofreading misunderstandings.

I thank fate a hundredfold for deciding to leave [[Moscow]] immediately. Believe it or not I walked around like a madman for several days after a multitude of experiences there, both pleasant and unpleasant.

Keep well, my dear chap. Please, do not print the opera until I've reviewed the proofs.

I've begun to copy out the piano sonata composed back in Switzerland. Poor [[Jurgenson]]...!
{{right|Yours, P. Tchaikovsky}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0858}}