Richard Wagner - Revision history

Brett at 19:51, 28 August 2023

2023-08-28T19:51:13Z

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	{{picture\|file=~~RichardWagner~~.jpg\|caption='''Richard Wagner''' (1813-1883)}}		{{picture\|file=Wagner_Richard.jpg\|caption='''Richard Wagner''' (1813-1883)}}
	German composer (b. 22 May 1813 {{NS}} in [[Leipzig]]; d. 13 February 1883 {{NS}} in [[Venice]]), born '''''Wilhelm Richard Wagner'''.		German composer (b. 22 May 1813 {{NS}} in [[Leipzig]]; d. 13 February 1883 {{NS}} in [[Venice]]), born '''''Wilhelm Richard Wagner'''.

Brett at 18:36, 24 August 2023

2023-08-24T18:36:41Z

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	{{picture\|file=RichardWagner.jpg\|caption='''Richard Wagner''' (1813-1883)}}		{{picture\|file=RichardWagner.jpg\|caption='''Richard Wagner''' (1813-1883)}}
	German composer (b. 22 May 1813 in [[Leipzig]]; d. 13 February 1883 in [[Venice]]), born '''''Wilhelm Richard Wagner'''.		German composer (b. 22 May 1813 {{NS}} in [[Leipzig]]; d. 13 February 1883 {{NS}} in [[Venice]]), born '''''Wilhelm Richard Wagner'''.

	==Tchaikovsky and Wagner==		==Tchaikovsky and Wagner==
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	* [[wikipedia:Richard_Wagner\|Wikipedia]]		* [[wikipedia:Richard_Wagner\|Wikipedia]]
	* {{IMSLP\|Wagner,_Richard}}		* {{IMSLP\|Wagner,_Richard}}
			* {{viaf\|29732107}}

	==Notes and References==		==Notes and References==

Tony: /* Notes and References */

2022-11-27T20:02:52Z

Notes and References

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	<references>		<references>
	<ref name="note1">[[Herman Laroche]]'s {{bibx\|1898/15\|Foreword}} to {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}} (1898). Cited here with reference to {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxii.</ref>		<ref name="note1">[[Herman Laroche]]'s {{bibx\|1898/15\|Foreword}} to {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}} (1898). Cited here with reference to {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxii.</ref>
	<ref name="note2">This article of 1893, entitled "Un voyage musical en Russie", was penned by the journalist André Maurel (1863–1943) and also included various ironical remarks against the Germans, especially [[Hans von Bülow]], whose influence on music life in Russia, so Maurel argued, had long since been resented by the Russians themselves, and that was why they had now welcomed Lamoureux so enthusiastically! In his open letter Tchaikovsky indignantly ~~emphasised~~ [[Bülow]]'s great services to Russian music, as well as pointing out how many of Wagner's operas had been staged in Russia over the last twenty-five years, and that orchestral excerpts from these had been a staple of RMS concerts in both capitals long before the French were even aware of Wagner's existence! Both Maurel's article and Tchaikovsky's open letter are included in {{bib\|1997/96\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1997), p. 523–526. They are also discussed by Rosamund Bartlett in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 111–112.</ref>		<ref name="note2">This article of 1893, entitled "Un voyage musical en Russie", was penned by the journalist André Maurel (1863–1943) and also included various ironical remarks against the Germans, especially [[Hans von Bülow]], whose influence on music life in Russia, so Maurel argued, had long since been resented by the Russians themselves, and that was why they had now welcomed Lamoureux so enthusiastically! In his open letter Tchaikovsky indignantly emphasized [[Bülow]]'s great services to Russian music, as well as pointing out how many of Wagner's operas had been staged in Russia over the last twenty-five years, and that orchestral excerpts from these had been a staple of RMS concerts in both capitals long before the French were even aware of Wagner's existence! Both Maurel's article and Tchaikovsky's open letter are included in {{bib\|1997/96\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1997), p. 523–526. They are also discussed by Rosamund Bartlett in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 111–112.</ref>
	<ref name="note3">Quoted in {{bib\|1997/96\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1997), p. 525.</ref>		<ref name="note3">Quoted in {{bib\|1997/96\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1997), p. 525.</ref>
	<ref name="note4">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 97.</ref>		<ref name="note4">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 97.</ref>

Tony: Text replacement - "emphasise" to "emphasize"

2022-11-27T20:01:51Z

Text replacement - "emphasise" to "emphasize"

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	A number of works by Tchaikovsky have been described as showing signs of Wagner's influence — indeed, already in his lifetime some Russian critics argued that he was moving closer to Wagnerian practice in his later operas, such as '' [[The Enchantress]]'' (1885–87) <ref name="note25"/>. However, Thomas Kohlhase has called for caution in this respect, pointing out that many of the associations that have been made (e.g. between ''Tristan'' and Tchaikovsky's last opera ''[[Iolanta]]'') are speculative or even downright subjective <ref name="note26"/>. There is one work, though, in which Tchaikovsky did openly recognize that he had been influenced by what he had heard in [[Bayreuth]] in August 1876, namely the fantasia ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]''.		A number of works by Tchaikovsky have been described as showing signs of Wagner's influence — indeed, already in his lifetime some Russian critics argued that he was moving closer to Wagnerian practice in his later operas, such as '' [[The Enchantress]]'' (1885–87) <ref name="note25"/>. However, Thomas Kohlhase has called for caution in this respect, pointing out that many of the associations that have been made (e.g. between ''Tristan'' and Tchaikovsky's last opera ''[[Iolanta]]'') are speculative or even downright subjective <ref name="note26"/>. There is one work, though, in which Tchaikovsky did openly recognize that he had been influenced by what he had heard in [[Bayreuth]] in August 1876, namely the fantasia ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]''.

	It is interesting that Tchaikovsky's original plan had been to write an opera on the tragic story of Francesca and Paolo from [[Dante]]'s ''Inferno''. In February 1876, he received a libretto on this subject from [[Konstantin Zvantsev]], who was a fanatical Wagnerian and had translated into Russian the librettos of ''Lohengrin'' and ''Tannhäuser ''<ref name="note27"/>. However, [[Zvantsev]] seems to have demanded that the opera should be written according to Wagnerian principles, and since Tchaikovsky would not accept any such interference in his creative work, nothing came of this projected opera (see [[TH 212]]). Still, the idea so appealed to Tchaikovsky that one of the first tasks he applied himself to upon his return to Russia in the autumn of 1876 was to write ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' as a symphonic fantasia. It was completed by November that year and premiered in [[Moscow]] on 25 February/9 March 1877. When the fantasia received its first performance in [[Saint Petersburg]] the following year (on 11/23 March 1878), Tchaikovsky, who was then living abroad, was informed of its great success by his relatives and friends in Russia, including [[Sergey Taneyev]], who passed on to him some observations made by [[César Cui]] after the concert. [[Cui]], the only member of the "Mighty Handful" who had attended the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876, had pointed out that ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' betrayed the influence of ''The Ring'' (this was apparently not meant as a criticism). In his reply to [[Taneyev]] (letter 799 quoted below) Tchaikovsky agreed completely with [[Cui]]'s observation and added that he himself had felt this influence when working on his fantasia! Tchaikovsky was clearly not at all embarrassed to recognize such a 'debt' to Wagner, for earlier in 1878 he had admitted in another letter to [[Taneyev]], this time concerning ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]'', that "my music, in spite of myself, is suffused with Schumannism, Wagnerism, Chopinism, Glinkaism, Berliozism, and all the other 'isms' of our time" <ref name="note28"/>. Besides, if even Maestro [[Verdi]] had learnt a thing or two from his great German contemporary and decided to write a 'Wagnerian' opera, ''Aida'' (as Tchaikovsky had argued in an article of 1872 — see [[TH 266]]), Tchaikovsky realised that it was impossible to escape the spell of Wagner's mastery of the orchestra. In an interview of 1892 ([[TH 324]]) he would again ~~emphasise~~ the debt which all European composers of the second half of the nineteenth century, himself included, owed to Wagner (see the relevant extract from this interview below).		It is interesting that Tchaikovsky's original plan had been to write an opera on the tragic story of Francesca and Paolo from [[Dante]]'s ''Inferno''. In February 1876, he received a libretto on this subject from [[Konstantin Zvantsev]], who was a fanatical Wagnerian and had translated into Russian the librettos of ''Lohengrin'' and ''Tannhäuser ''<ref name="note27"/>. However, [[Zvantsev]] seems to have demanded that the opera should be written according to Wagnerian principles, and since Tchaikovsky would not accept any such interference in his creative work, nothing came of this projected opera (see [[TH 212]]). Still, the idea so appealed to Tchaikovsky that one of the first tasks he applied himself to upon his return to Russia in the autumn of 1876 was to write ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' as a symphonic fantasia. It was completed by November that year and premiered in [[Moscow]] on 25 February/9 March 1877. When the fantasia received its first performance in [[Saint Petersburg]] the following year (on 11/23 March 1878), Tchaikovsky, who was then living abroad, was informed of its great success by his relatives and friends in Russia, including [[Sergey Taneyev]], who passed on to him some observations made by [[César Cui]] after the concert. [[Cui]], the only member of the "Mighty Handful" who had attended the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876, had pointed out that ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' betrayed the influence of ''The Ring'' (this was apparently not meant as a criticism). In his reply to [[Taneyev]] (letter 799 quoted below) Tchaikovsky agreed completely with [[Cui]]'s observation and added that he himself had felt this influence when working on his fantasia! Tchaikovsky was clearly not at all embarrassed to recognize such a 'debt' to Wagner, for earlier in 1878 he had admitted in another letter to [[Taneyev]], this time concerning ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]'', that "my music, in spite of myself, is suffused with Schumannism, Wagnerism, Chopinism, Glinkaism, Berliozism, and all the other 'isms' of our time" <ref name="note28"/>. Besides, if even Maestro [[Verdi]] had learnt a thing or two from his great German contemporary and decided to write a 'Wagnerian' opera, ''Aida'' (as Tchaikovsky had argued in an article of 1872 — see [[TH 266]]), Tchaikovsky realised that it was impossible to escape the spell of Wagner's mastery of the orchestra. In an interview of 1892 ([[TH 324]]) he would again emphasize the debt which all European composers of the second half of the nineteenth century, himself included, owed to Wagner (see the relevant extract from this interview below).

	Thus, it seems that by 1878 the negative impressions of the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876 and of that performance of ''Die Walküre'' in [[Vienna]] at the end of 1877 — that is exhaustion at having to listen to "endless symphonies" on subjects which were not close to Tchaikovsky's heart, and where the singers, however much they were prominent on the stage, had a merely peripheral role in the musical development of the 'drama' — had given way to a more objective appraisal of Wagner's merits by Tchaikovsky. Certainly, his love for Wagner's early operas, ''Tannhäuser'' and ''Lohengrin'', would always remain unabated, especially the second of these. While studying the score of ''Lohengrin'' in May 1879, he wrote to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] (letter 1171 quoted below) that no matter how loathsome he found Wagner's personality and Wagnerism as a principle, he could not but admire his "tremendous musical gift", which had nowhere manifested itself so brightly as in ''Lohengrin'', "the crown in Wagner's oeuvre"! It was probably his view of ''Lohengrin'' as the pinnacle of Wagner's achievement that led him to have rather high expectations of another early opera, ''Der fliegende Holländer''. On 16 March 1880 {{NS}}, Tchaikovsky informed his brother [[Modest]] that he had decided to stay in [[Berlin]] for an extra day because "I saw a bill-board advertising a performance this evening of ''Der fliegende Holländer'', which I have been yearning to hear for such a long time", and at the end of this letter he added: "How glad I am that tonight I shall get to hear ''The Dutchman''!" <ref name="note29"/>. However, as was to happen three years later when he heard ''Tristan'' for the first time (again in [[Berlin]]), this opera with its bleak atmosphere proved to be a disappointment for Tchaikovsky and he didn't even stay until the end.		Thus, it seems that by 1878 the negative impressions of the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876 and of that performance of ''Die Walküre'' in [[Vienna]] at the end of 1877 — that is exhaustion at having to listen to "endless symphonies" on subjects which were not close to Tchaikovsky's heart, and where the singers, however much they were prominent on the stage, had a merely peripheral role in the musical development of the 'drama' — had given way to a more objective appraisal of Wagner's merits by Tchaikovsky. Certainly, his love for Wagner's early operas, ''Tannhäuser'' and ''Lohengrin'', would always remain unabated, especially the second of these. While studying the score of ''Lohengrin'' in May 1879, he wrote to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] (letter 1171 quoted below) that no matter how loathsome he found Wagner's personality and Wagnerism as a principle, he could not but admire his "tremendous musical gift", which had nowhere manifested itself so brightly as in ''Lohengrin'', "the crown in Wagner's oeuvre"! It was probably his view of ''Lohengrin'' as the pinnacle of Wagner's achievement that led him to have rather high expectations of another early opera, ''Der fliegende Holländer''. On 16 March 1880 {{NS}}, Tchaikovsky informed his brother [[Modest]] that he had decided to stay in [[Berlin]] for an extra day because "I saw a bill-board advertising a performance this evening of ''Der fliegende Holländer'', which I have been yearning to hear for such a long time", and at the end of this letter he added: "How glad I am that tonight I shall get to hear ''The Dutchman''!" <ref name="note29"/>. However, as was to happen three years later when he heard ''Tristan'' for the first time (again in [[Berlin]]), this opera with its bleak atmosphere proved to be a disappointment for Tchaikovsky and he didn't even stay until the end.

Tony: /* Notes and References */ Text correction - "i" to "in"

2022-11-26T09:48:05Z

Notes and References: Text correction - "i" to "in"

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	<ref name="note42">{{bib\|1980/87\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковском}} (1980), p. 44.</ref>		<ref name="note42">{{bib\|1980/87\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковском}} (1980), p. 44.</ref>
	<ref name="note43">One phrase in this letter requires particular attention: «был у Вагнера, который теперь никого не принимает». Translated quite literally, this would be in English: "was at Wagner's, who doesn't receive anyone now". Since it is not attested elsewhere that Tchaikovsky actually met Wagner, what seems to have happened is that he knocked at the door of Villa Wahnfried (perhaps with a letter of recommendation from [[Liszt]] or [[Klindworth]]) but was told that the composer wasn't receiving visitors. However, Tchaikovsky does seem to have spoken to someone who had been inside Wagner's house, since he describes its opulent interior in some detail in Chapter IV of [[TH 314]].</ref>		<ref name="note43">One phrase in this letter requires particular attention: «был у Вагнера, который теперь никого не принимает». Translated quite literally, this would be in English: "was at Wagner's, who doesn't receive anyone now". Since it is not attested elsewhere that Tchaikovsky actually met Wagner, what seems to have happened is that he knocked at the door of Villa Wahnfried (perhaps with a letter of recommendation from [[Liszt]] or [[Klindworth]]) but was told that the composer wasn't receiving visitors. However, Tchaikovsky does seem to have spoken to someone who had been inside Wagner's house, since he describes its opulent interior in some detail in Chapter IV of [[TH 314]].</ref>
	<ref name="note44">It is worth comparing this with a very interesting letter which [[Sergey Taneyev]] wrote from [[Paris]] to [[Varvara Maslova]] and [[Fyodor Maslov]] on 3/15 March 1877, describing his meetings there with [[Ivan Turgenev]]. [[Taneyev]] discusses, in particular, his musical tastes. Apparently [[Turgenev]]'s favourite composer was now [[Schumann]] and he could not stand Wagner at all: "'His [Wagner's] music expresses various un-human feelings,' he [Turgenev]]] says, 'and his characters are not living people, so I can't empathize with them. How can I know what is going on in the heart of a young man who comes floating in on a swan (''Lohengrin'') or in that of a young girl who has the habit of riding through clouds on a horse at night-time (''Walküre'') — I mean, if I was also told that she sees through her mouth and listens with her nose, am I expected to believe that, too?! Anyway, whatever she does cannot move or touch me. And whenever in Wagner's operas there are supposed to be people on the stage, these aren't actually real people, just figures who are meant to illustrate some abstract idea'". Quoted by Abram Gozenpud in {{und\|И. С. Тургенев. Исследование}} [I. S. Turgenev. A Study] (1994), p. 48. Also i Bernandt, G. {{und\|С. И. Танеев}} [S. I. Taneyev] (1950), p. 42–43. See also Tchaikovsky's very similar remarks about the exotic setting of [[Verdi]]'s ''Aida'', with its "Egyptian princesses and pharaohs" in the work history for ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.</ref>		<ref name="note44">It is worth comparing this with a very interesting letter which [[Sergey Taneyev]] wrote from [[Paris]] to [[Varvara Maslova]] and [[Fyodor Maslov]] on 3/15 March 1877, describing his meetings there with [[Ivan Turgenev]]. [[Taneyev]] discusses, in particular, his musical tastes. Apparently [[Turgenev]]'s favourite composer was now [[Schumann]] and he could not stand Wagner at all: "'His [Wagner's] music expresses various un-human feelings,' he [Turgenev]]] says, 'and his characters are not living people, so I can't empathize with them. How can I know what is going on in the heart of a young man who comes floating in on a swan (''Lohengrin'') or in that of a young girl who has the habit of riding through clouds on a horse at night-time (''Walküre'') — I mean, if I was also told that she sees through her mouth and listens with her nose, am I expected to believe that, too?! Anyway, whatever she does cannot move or touch me. And whenever in Wagner's operas there are supposed to be people on the stage, these aren't actually real people, just figures who are meant to illustrate some abstract idea'". Quoted by Abram Gozenpud in {{und\|И. С. Тургенев. Исследование}} [I. S. Turgenev. A Study] (1994), p. 48. Also in Bernandt, G. {{und\|С. И. Танеев}} [S. I. Taneyev] (1950), p. 42–43. See also Tchaikovsky's very similar remarks about the exotic setting of [[Verdi]]'s ''Aida'', with its "Egyptian princesses and pharaohs" in the work history for ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.</ref>
	<ref name="note45">Quoted in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 104.</ref>		<ref name="note45">Quoted in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 104.</ref>
	<ref name="note46">It is worth comparing the conclusion of this letter with the almost identical ending of Tchaikovsky's 1891 article for the [[New York]] ''Morning Journal'': "[[Wagner and His Music]]" ([[TH 319]]).</ref>		<ref name="note46">It is worth comparing the conclusion of this letter with the almost identical ending of Tchaikovsky's 1891 article for the [[New York]] ''Morning Journal'': "[[Wagner and His Music]]" ([[TH 319]]).</ref>

Tony: /* Notes and References */

2022-11-26T09:39:13Z

Notes and References

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	<ref name="note22">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 95.</ref>		<ref name="note22">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 95.</ref>
	<ref name="note23">See also [[Letter 716]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 2/14 January 1878, which is quoted in more detail in the work history for ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.</ref>		<ref name="note23">See also [[Letter 716]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 2/14 January 1878, which is quoted in more detail in the work history for ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.</ref>
	<ref name="note24">{{bib\|1954/50\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковскoм}} (1954), p. 110–111. In his ''Chronicle of My Musical Life'' [Летопись моей музыкальной жизни] (1910), [[Rimsky-Korsakov]] also refers to a similar conversation with Tchaikovsky, but seems to have confused the facts. He recalls there how Tchaikovsky attended one of the gatherings of the "Mighty Handful" in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1876 or 1877 and had informed them that he was working on an orchestral fantasia based on [[Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[The Tempest]]'', and that for the evocation of the sea "he intended to borrow, up to a certain point, from Wagner's prelude to ''Das Rheingold'', based on a triad figure". (The relevant section from [[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s memoirs is included in {{bib\|1994/85\|Tschaikowsky aus der Nähe: Kritische Würdigungen und Erinnerungen von Zeitgenossen}} (1994), p. 81]. ''[[The Tempest]]'', however, was completed by Tchaikovsky in October 1873! It seems that [[Rimsky-Korsakov]], who had been greatly impressed by the fantasia at its premiere in December that year, later associated Tchaikovsky's admiration for the ''Rheingold'' prelude after his return from [[Bayreuth]] in 1876 (as described by [[Kashkin]] above) with the composition process of ''[[The Tempest]]'', but this is evidently a misunderstanding. The ''Rheingold'' prelude was not included by Wagner in the concerts he gave in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1863, and Tchaikovsky, as far as we can tell, heard it for the first time at the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876, so it cannot have influenced the writing of ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1873) in any way.</ref>		<ref name="note24">{{bib\|1954/50\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковскoм}} (1954), p. 110–111. In his ''Chronicle of My Musical Life'' [Летопись моей музыкальной жизни] (1910), [[Rimsky-Korsakov]] also refers to a similar conversation with Tchaikovsky, but seems to have confused the facts. He recalls there how Tchaikovsky attended one of the gatherings of the "Mighty Handful" in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1876 or 1877 and had informed them that he was working on an orchestral fantasia based on [[Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[The Tempest]]'', and that for the evocation of the sea "he intended to borrow, up to a certain point, from Wagner's prelude to ''Das Rheingold'', based on a triad figure". (The relevant section from [[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s memoirs is included in {{bib\|1994/85\|Tschaikowsky aus der Nähe: Kritische Würdigungen und Erinnerungen von Zeitgenossen}} (1994), p. 81.) ''[[The Tempest]]'', however, was completed by Tchaikovsky in October 1873! It seems that [[Rimsky-Korsakov]], who had been greatly impressed by the fantasia at its premiere in December that year, later associated Tchaikovsky's admiration for the ''Rheingold'' prelude after his return from [[Bayreuth]] in 1876 (as described by [[Kashkin]] above) with the composition process of ''[[The Tempest]]'', but this is evidently a misunderstanding. The ''Rheingold'' prelude was not included by Wagner in the concerts he gave in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1863, and Tchaikovsky, as far as we can tell, heard it for the first time at the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876, so it cannot have influenced the writing of ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1873) in any way.</ref>
	<ref name="note25">See also a review of that opera quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского. Летопись жизни и творчества}} (1940), p. 424.</ref>		<ref name="note25">See also a review of that opera quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского. Летопись жизни и творчества}} (1940), p. 424.</ref>
	<ref name="note26">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 301–302.</ref>		<ref name="note26">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 301–302.</ref>
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	<ref name="note35">See also [[Letter 3488]] to [[Praskovya Tchaikovskaya]], 30 January/11 February 1888, where he does not actually say anything about the opera or the performance.</ref>		<ref name="note35">See also [[Letter 3488]] to [[Praskovya Tchaikovskaya]], 30 January/11 February 1888, where he does not actually say anything about the opera or the performance.</ref>
	<ref name="note36">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 306. See also also a letter from [[Sergey Taneyev]] to Tchaikovsky, 11/23 April 1889: "Wagner interests me enormously, especially with regard to his harmony and instrumentation. There is a lot one can learn from him — amongst other things, how one should not write operas. Some time I will talk to you in detail about him." See also {{bib\|1951/48\|П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма}} (1951), p. 158.</ref>		<ref name="note36">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 306. See also also a letter from [[Sergey Taneyev]] to Tchaikovsky, 11/23 April 1889: "Wagner interests me enormously, especially with regard to his harmony and instrumentation. There is a lot one can learn from him — amongst other things, how one should not write operas. Some time I will talk to you in detail about him." See also {{bib\|1951/48\|П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма}} (1951), p. 158.</ref>
	<ref name="note37">David Brown is quoted on this point by Rosamund Bartlett in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 110. In his article {{bib\|1995/69\|Čajkovskij und das russische Silberne Zeitalter}} (1995), p. 155–164, Arkady Klimovitsky also discusses the similarities between ''Tristan'' and ''[[Iolanta]]'' (tonal vagueness, harmonic colour, chromaticism) but argues that Tchaikovsky was seeking to refute Wagner in a certain sense. He quotes a letter which Tchaikovsky wrote to an old friend I. V. Yakovlev when he started to work on ''[[Iolanta]]'': "I have found a subject with which I shall prove to the whole world that the lovers in the finales of operas can stay alive, and that this is completely true and authentic!" Klimovitsky makes the interesting conjecture that Tchaikovsky was thinking of ''Tristan'' in this letter, and that he intended the happy ending of ''[[Iolanta]]'', with the marriage of Vaudémont and Iolanta now cured of her blindness, as a refutation of the inevitable "Liebestod" of ''Tristan and Isolde''.</ref>		<ref name="note37">David Brown is quoted on this point by Rosamund Bartlett in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 110. In his article {{bib\|1995/69\|Čajkovskij und das russische Silberne Zeitalter}} (1995), p. 155–164, Arkady Klimovitsky also discusses the similarities between ''Tristan'' and ''[[Iolanta]]'' (tonal vagueness, harmonic colour, chromaticism) but argues that Tchaikovsky was seeking to refute Wagner in a certain sense. He quotes a letter which Tchaikovsky wrote to an old friend I. V. Yakovlev when he started to work on ''[[Iolanta]]'': "I have found a subject with which I shall prove to the whole world that the lovers in the finales of operas can stay alive, and that this is completely true and authentic!" Klimovitsky makes the interesting conjecture that Tchaikovsky was thinking of ''Tristan'' in this letter, and that he intended the happy ending of ''[[Iolanta]]'', with the marriage of Vaudémont and Iolanta, now cured of her blindness, as a refutation of the inevitable "Liebestod" of ''Tristan and Isolde''.</ref>
	<ref name="note38">See also {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 111.</ref>		<ref name="note38">See also {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 111.</ref>
	<ref name="note39">{{bib\|1980/51}} (1980), p. 208–211 (211). This passage is also included in {{bib\|1993/33\|Tchaikovsky Remembered}} (1993).</ref>		<ref name="note39">{{bib\|1980/51}} (1980), p. 208–211 (211). This passage is also included in {{bib\|1993/33\|Tchaikovsky Remembered}} (1993).</ref>

Tony: /* Notes and References */

2022-11-26T09:28:44Z

Notes and References

Tony: /* In Tchaikovsky's Letters */

2022-11-26T09:13:55Z

In Tchaikovsky's Letters

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	{{quote\|I found ''The Dutchman'' terribly noisy and boring. The singers were very bad, the'' prima donna ''(Mallinger <ref name="note48"/>) had lost her voice, and overall this was very much a below average performance. I didn't even stay until the end.}}		{{quote\|I found ''The Dutchman'' terribly noisy and boring. The singers were very bad, the'' prima donna ''(Mallinger <ref name="note48"/>) had lost her voice, and overall this was very much a below average performance. I didn't even stay until the end.}}

	* ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'', tetralogy (1876; see also the individual operas) — [[Letter 490]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 8/20 August 1876 (quoted above); [[Letter 3814]] to [[Vladimir Davydov]], 5/17 March 1889 (quoted above) ; [[Letter 799]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 27 March/8 April 1878, in which Tchaikovsky thanks [[Taneyev]] for telling him how ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' had fared at its recent premiere in [[Moscow]]:		* ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'', tetralogy (1876; see also the individual operas) — [[Letter 490]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 8/20 August 1876 (quoted above); [[Letter 3814]] to [[Vladimir Davydov]], 5/17 March 1889 (quoted above); [[Letter 799]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 27 March/8 April 1878, in which Tchaikovsky thanks [[Taneyev]] for telling him how ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]'' had fared at its recent premiere in [[Moscow]]:
	{{quote\|It was very interesting for me to read these opinions about ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]''. But it wasn't [[Cui]]'s own idea when he says that the first theme resembles a Russian song. I told him that myself last year. If I hadn't told him, he wouldn't have noticed! [Cui]]'s] observation that I wrote this work under the impression of the ''Nibelungen'' is very accurate. I felt this myself when I was working on it. If I am not mistaken, this is particularly noticeable in the introduction. Isn't it strange that I submitted to the influence of an artistic work which I generally dislike?" <ref name="note49"/>.}}		{{quote\|It was very interesting for me to read these opinions about ''[[Francesca da Rimini]]''. But it wasn't [[Cui]]'s own idea when he says that the first theme resembles a Russian song. I told him that myself last year. If I hadn't told him, he wouldn't have noticed! [Cui]]'s] observation that I wrote this work under the impression of the ''Nibelungen'' is very accurate. I felt this myself when I was working on it. If I am not mistaken, this is particularly noticeable in the introduction. Isn't it strange that I submitted to the influence of an artistic work which I generally dislike?" <ref name="note49"/>.}}

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	{{quote\|By the way, the conductor here is not some medium-quality fellow, but positively a ''genius'', and he is burning with eagerness to conduct the first performance [of ''[[Onegin]]'']. Yesterday I heard him conduct an ''astonishing'' performance of ''Tannhäuser''. The singers, the orchestra, [[Pollini]], the stage directors, the conductor (his name is [[Mahler]]) are all in love with ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.}}		{{quote\|By the way, the conductor here is not some medium-quality fellow, but positively a ''genius'', and he is burning with eagerness to conduct the first performance [of ''[[Onegin]]'']. Yesterday I heard him conduct an ''astonishing'' performance of ''Tannhäuser''. The singers, the orchestra, [[Pollini]], the stage directors, the conductor (his name is [[Mahler]]) are all in love with ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.}}

	* ''Tristan und Isolde'', opera (1865) — [[Letter 2184]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 31 December 1882/12 January 1883 (quoted above); [[Letter 2448]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 27 February/10 March 1884 (quoted above) ; [[Letter 2183]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 30 December 1882/11 January 1883, from [[Berlin]]:		* ''Tristan und Isolde'', opera (1865) — [[Letter 2184]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 31 December 1882/12 January 1883 (quoted above); [[Letter 2448]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 27 February/10 March 1884 (quoted above); [[Letter 2183]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 30 December 1882/11 January 1883, from [[Berlin]]:
	{{quote\|Tonight at the opera-house they're putting on ''Tristan und Isolde''. At last I'm in luck! Of course I'll go and see it.}}		{{quote\|Tonight at the opera-house they're putting on ''Tristan und Isolde''. At last I'm in luck! Of course I'll go and see it.}}

Tony: /* In Tchaikovsky's Letters */

2022-11-25T20:26:06Z

In Tchaikovsky's Letters

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	* [[Letter 3814]] to [[Vladimir Davydov]], 5/17 March 1889, from [[Hannover]], in which Tchaikovsky complains about the lack of coverage his second conducting tour to Western Europe (January–March 1889) was receiving in the Russian press:		* [[Letter 3814]] to [[Vladimir Davydov]], 5/17 March 1889, from [[Hannover]], in which Tchaikovsky complains about the lack of coverage his second conducting tour to Western Europe (January–March 1889) was receiving in the Russian press:
	{{quote\|Unfortunately, in Russia, judging from letters [I've received], the newspapers in the two capitals are continuing to ignore me, and apart from people close to me nobody seems to care anything about my successes. In contrast, the local newspapers here every day publish long telegrams with all the details about how Wagner's operas are being staged in [[Saint Petersburg]] [during February–March 1889 Angelo Neumann's touring opera company put on ''the Ring'' cycle at the Mariinsky Theatre — its first performance in Russia]. Of course, I am no Wagner, but still it is desirable that people in our country should know how cordially I'm being welcomed by the Germans.}}		{{quote\|Unfortunately, in Russia, judging from letters [I've received], the newspapers in the two capitals are continuing to ignore me, and apart from people close to me nobody seems to care anything about my successes. In contrast, the local newspapers here every day publish long telegrams with all the details about how Wagner's operas are being staged in [[Saint Petersburg]] [during February–March 1889, Angelo Neumann's touring opera company put on ''the Ring'' cycle at the Mariinsky Theatre — its first performance in Russia]. Of course, I am no Wagner, but still it is desirable that people in our country should know how cordially I'm being welcomed by the Germans.}}

	{{quote\|I would be interested to know what you made of the tetralogy [i.e. '' The Ring'']. I can foresee that now we, too, will have our own Russian Wagnerians. I do not like that breed. Having been bored to death the whole evening, but enticed by some captivating, effective moment, they imagine that they have come to appreciate Wagner and will plume themselves on their exquisite sensitivity, thereby merely deluding themselves and others. When all is said and done, ''[[Wagner]]'' (I am speaking of the author of the tetralogy, not about the composer of "Lohengrin") cannot appeal to a Russian person. These German gods with their Valhallaesque squabbles and impossibly long-winded dramatic gibberish must inevitably just seem ridiculous to a Frenchman, an Italian, or a Russian. As for the music, in which wondrous symphonic episodes cannot make up for the monstrosity and artificiality of the vocal aspect of these musical freaks, that can surely only depress people. But just as is happening in France and in Italy, I am sure that the vile breed of Wagnerians will also make headway in our country, too. If all these attacks on [[Wagner]] surprise you, I should like to make it clear to you that I think very highly of [[Wagner]]'s creative genius, but detest ''Wagnerism'' as a principle and cannot overcome my disgust at [[Wagner]]'s manner in his late works…" <ref name="note46"/>.}}		{{quote\|I would be interested to know what you made of the tetralogy [i.e. '' The Ring'']. I can foresee that now we, too, will have our own Russian Wagnerians. I do not like that breed. Having been bored to death the whole evening, but enticed by some captivating, effective moment, they imagine that they have come to appreciate Wagner and will plume themselves on their exquisite sensitivity, thereby merely deluding themselves and others. When all is said and done, ''[[Wagner]]'' (I am speaking of the author of the tetralogy, not about the composer of "Lohengrin") cannot appeal to a Russian person. These German gods with their Valhallaesque squabbles and impossibly long-winded dramatic gibberish must inevitably just seem ridiculous to a Frenchman, an Italian, or a Russian. As for the music, in which wondrous symphonic episodes cannot make up for the monstrosity and artificiality of the vocal aspect of these musical freaks, that can surely only depress people. But just as is happening in France and in Italy, I am sure that the vile breed of Wagnerians will also make headway in our country, too. If all these attacks on [[Wagner]] surprise you, I should like to make it clear to you that I think very highly of [[Wagner]]'s creative genius, but detest ''Wagnerism'' as a principle and cannot overcome my disgust at [[Wagner]]'s manner in his late works…" <ref name="note46"/>.}}

Tony: /* General Reflections on Wagner */

2022-11-25T20:08:32Z

General Reflections on Wagner

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	* [[TH 284]] — defends [[Mozart]]'s ''Don Giovanni'' from those who denied its historical significance, in particular Wagner; observes ironically how Wagner had succeeded in "subordinating the singers to a whole orchestral regiment" which drowned out their voices!		* [[TH 284]] — defends [[Mozart]]'s ''Don Giovanni'' from those who denied its historical significance, in particular Wagner; observes ironically how Wagner had succeeded in "subordinating the singers to a whole orchestral regiment" which drowned out their voices!
	* '''[[TH 285]]''' — while referring enthusiastically to the ''Lohengrin'' prelude, Tchaikovsky stresses again that Wagner was "first and foremost a symphonist" who had been led astray by "false aesthetic theories"; criticizes his "bulky operas" in which the feelings of the characters were expressed by "a huge orchestral barrage whose roaring completely drowns out the colourless and unwieldy recitative"!		* '''[[TH 285]]''' — while referring enthusiastically to the ''Lohengrin'' prelude, Tchaikovsky stresses again that Wagner was "first and foremost a symphonist" who had been led astray by "false aesthetic theories"; criticizes his "bulky operas" in which the feelings of the characters were expressed by "a huge orchestral barrage whose roaring completely drowns out the colourless and unwieldy recitative"!
	* [[TH 286]] — emphasizes how [[Karl Klindworth]] was regarded very highly for his piano arrangements of orchestral works by pointing out that Wagner, "the most renowned composer of our times" always entrusted to him the task of making piano transcriptions of his operas.		* [[TH 286]] — emphasizes how [[Karl Klindworth]] was regarded very highly for his piano arrangements of orchestral works by pointing out that Wagner, "the most renowned composer of our times", always entrusted to him the task of making piano transcriptions of his operas.
	* [[TH 306]] — enthusiastically praises the "astonishing vividness" of the ''Ride of the Valkyries'' and remarks with a sigh of regret that the "symphonist" Wagner had decided to concentrate his efforts on 'music drama' rather than pure orchestral music!		* [[TH 306]] — enthusiastically praises the "astonishing vividness" of the ''Ride of the Valkyries'' and remarks with a sigh of regret that the "symphonist" Wagner had decided to concentrate his efforts on 'music drama' rather than pure orchestral music!
	* '''[[TH 314]]''' ("The Bayreuth Music Festival") — in this series of articles Tchaikovsky first discusses the genesis of '' The Ring'' and how the [[Bayreuth]] Festival Theatre was built according to Wagner's specifications; gives a synopsis of all four operas which make up the ''Ring'' cycle; shares his impressions of [[Bayreuth]] during the bustle of the inaugural Festival in 1876 and recounts various humorous anecdotes, as well as giving a fascinating snap-shot of Wagner with his "aquiline nose" and "mocking lips"; Tchaikovsky begs his readers' forgiveness for not being sufficiently well prepared and qualified to give a detailed analysis of ''the Ring'', but still makes some very interesting general observations: on the one hand he praises Wagner for having succeeded in such a tremendous artistic enterprise as creating from nothing a whole new theatre and festival, but criticizes the "principles" Wagner adhered to in his music; the latter was "astonishingly rich" technically and "equipped with an instrumentation of unprecedented beauty", but unfortunately it was entrusted exclusively to the orchestra, the singers being utterly neglected; Tchaikovsky also points out that Wagner's lavish palette of orchestral sound and chromatic subtleties produced in the end a sensation of "fatigue"; makes ironical remarks about the "dwarves, dragons, and swimming maidens" which riveted the attention of those in the audience who were perhaps not so musical, as well as about certain Wagnerians!; Tchaikovsky ends, though, on a positive note by stressing the historical significance of this Festival and saying that he was eager to continue his study of "this most complicated work of music ever written".		* '''[[TH 314]]''' ("The Bayreuth Music Festival") — in this series of articles Tchaikovsky first discusses the genesis of '' The Ring'' and how the [[Bayreuth]] Festival Theatre was built according to Wagner's specifications; gives a synopsis of all four operas which make up the ''Ring'' cycle; shares his impressions of [[Bayreuth]] during the bustle of the inaugural Festival in 1876 and recounts various humorous anecdotes, as well as giving a fascinating snap-shot of Wagner with his "aquiline nose" and "mocking lips"; Tchaikovsky begs his readers' forgiveness for not being sufficiently well prepared and qualified to give a detailed analysis of ''the Ring'', but still makes some very interesting general observations: on the one hand he praises Wagner for having succeeded in such a tremendous artistic enterprise as creating from nothing a whole new theatre and festival, but criticizes the "principles" Wagner adhered to in his music; the latter was "astonishingly rich" technically and "equipped with an instrumentation of unprecedented beauty", but unfortunately it was entrusted exclusively to the orchestra, the singers being utterly neglected; Tchaikovsky also points out that Wagner's lavish palette of orchestral sound and chromatic subtleties produced in the end a sensation of "fatigue"; makes ironical remarks about the "dwarves, dragons, and swimming maidens" which riveted the attention of those in the audience who were perhaps not so musical, as well as about certain Wagnerians!; Tchaikovsky ends, though, on a positive note by stressing the historical significance of this Festival and saying that he was eager to continue his study of "this most complicated work of music ever written".
	* [[TH 316]] — in Chapter V of this account of his first tour of Western Europe as a conductor Tchaikovsky speaks highly of [[Brahms]]'s character, praising in particular his modesty, which he illustrates by an anecdote concerning one of Wagner's spiteful sallies against [[Brahms]]; also emphasizes [[Brahms]]'s "firmness and proud refusal to make any concessions to Wagnerism"; Tchaikovsky seems to retract his earlier observations about [[Verdi]] having been influenced by Wagner in ''Aida''; reflects on how the [[Brahms]] cult in Germany was a reaction against the "triumphant onslaught of Wagner in the field of opera".		* [[TH 316]] — in Chapter V of this account of his first tour of Western Europe as a conductor, Tchaikovsky speaks highly of [[Brahms]]'s character, praising in particular his modesty, which he illustrates by an anecdote concerning one of Wagner's spiteful sallies against [[Brahms]]; also emphasizes [[Brahms]]'s "firmness and proud refusal to make any concessions to Wagnerism"; Tchaikovsky seems to retract his earlier observations about [[Verdi]] having been influenced by Wagner in ''Aida''; reflects on how the [[Brahms]] cult in Germany was a reaction against the "triumphant onslaught of Wagner in the field of opera".
	* '''[[TH 319]]''' ("Wagner and His Music") — at the request of an American journalist during his stay in [[New York]] in 1891, Tchaikovsky sets down his views on Wagner in a few pithy statements; professes his admiration for Wagner as a composer, but unequivocally rejects Wagnerian theories; stresses that Wagner's influence on music in the second half of the 19th century had been "enormous", but that unfortunately he was "a genius who followed a wrong path"; Tchaikovsky asserts that "Wagner was a great symphonist, but not a composer of opera".		* '''[[TH 319]]''' ("Wagner and His Music") — at the request of an American journalist during his stay in [[New York]] in 1891, Tchaikovsky sets down his views on Wagner in a few pithy statements; professes his admiration for Wagner as a composer, but unequivocally rejects Wagnerian theories; stresses that Wagner's influence on music in the second half of the 19th century had been "enormous", but that unfortunately he was "a genius who followed a wrong path"; Tchaikovsky asserts that "Wagner was a great symphonist, but not a composer of opera".

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	<references>		<references>
	<ref name="note1">[[Herman Laroche]]'s {{bibx\|1898/15\|Foreword}} to {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}} (1898). Cited here with reference to {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxii.</ref>		<ref name="note1">[[Herman Laroche]]'s {{bibx\|1898/15\|Foreword}} to {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}} (1898). Cited here with reference to {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxii.</ref>
	<ref name="note2">This article of 1893, entitled "Un voyage musical en Russie", was penned by the journalist André Maurel (1863–1943) and also included various ironical remarks against the Germans, especially [[Hans von Bülow]], whose influence on music life in Russia, so Maurel argued, had long since been resented by the Russians themselves, and that was why they had now welcomed Lamoureux so enthusiastically! In his open letter Tchaikovsky indignantly ~~emphasised~~ [[Bülow]]'s great services to Russian music, as well as pointing out how many of Wagner's operas had been staged in Russia over the last twenty-five years, and that orchestral excerpts from these had been a staple of RMS concerts in both capitals long before the French were even aware of Wagner's existence! Both Maurel's article and Tchaikovsky's open letter are included in {{bib\|1997/96\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1997), p. 523–526. They are also discussed by Rosamund Bartlett in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 111–112.</ref>		<ref name="note2">This article of 1893, entitled "Un voyage musical en Russie", was penned by the journalist André Maurel (1863–1943) and also included various ironical remarks against the Germans, especially [[Hans von Bülow]], whose influence on music life in Russia, so Maurel argued, had long since been resented by the Russians themselves, and that was why they had now welcomed Lamoureux so enthusiastically! In his open letter Tchaikovsky indignantly emphasized [[Bülow]]'s great services to Russian music, as well as pointing out how many of Wagner's operas had been staged in Russia over the last twenty-five years, and that orchestral excerpts from these had been a staple of RMS concerts in both capitals long before the French were even aware of Wagner's existence! Both Maurel's article and Tchaikovsky's open letter are included in {{bib\|1997/96\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1997), p. 523–526. They are also discussed by Rosamund Bartlett in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 111–112.</ref>
	<ref name="note3">Quoted in {{bib\|1997/96\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1997), p. 525.</ref>		<ref name="note3">Quoted in {{bib\|1997/96\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1997), p. 525.</ref>
	<ref name="note4">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 97.</ref>		<ref name="note4">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 97.</ref>

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	<ref name="note22">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 95.</ref>		<ref name="note22">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 95.</ref>
	<ref name="note23">See also [[Letter 716]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 2/14 January 1878, which is quoted in more detail in the work history for ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.</ref>		<ref name="note23">See also [[Letter 716]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 2/14 January 1878, which is quoted in more detail in the work history for ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.</ref>
	<ref name="note24">{{bib\|1954/50\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковскoм}} (1954), p. 110–111. In his ''Chronicle of My Musical Life'' [Летопись моей музыкальной жизни] (1910), [[Rimsky-Korsakov]] also refers to a similar conversation with Tchaikovsky, but seems to have confused the facts. He recalls there how Tchaikovsky attended one of the gatherings of the "Mighty Handful" in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1876 or 1877 and had informed them that he was working on an orchestral fantasia based on [[Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[The Tempest]]'', and that for the evocation of the sea "he intended to borrow, up to a certain point, from Wagner's prelude to ''Das Rheingold'', based on a triad figure". (The relevant section from [[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s memoirs is included in {{bib\|1994/85\|Tschaikowsky aus der Nähe: Kritische Würdigungen und Erinnerungen von Zeitgenossen}} (1994), p. 81]. ''[[The Tempest]]'', however, was completed by Tchaikovsky in October 1873! It seems that [[Rimsky-Korsakov]], who had been greatly impressed by the fantasia at its premiere in December that year, later associated Tchaikovsky's admiration for the ''Rheingold'' prelude after his return from [[Bayreuth]] in 1876 (as described by [[Kashkin]] above) with the composition process of ''[[The Tempest]]'', but this is evidently a misunderstanding. The ''Rheingold'' prelude was not included by Wagner in the concerts he gave in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1863, and Tchaikovsky, as far as we can tell, heard it for the first time at the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876, so it cannot have influenced the writing of ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1873) in any way.</ref>		<ref name="note24">{{bib\|1954/50\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковскoм}} (1954), p. 110–111. In his ''Chronicle of My Musical Life'' [Летопись моей музыкальной жизни] (1910), [[Rimsky-Korsakov]] also refers to a similar conversation with Tchaikovsky, but seems to have confused the facts. He recalls there how Tchaikovsky attended one of the gatherings of the "Mighty Handful" in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1876 or 1877 and had informed them that he was working on an orchestral fantasia based on [[Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[The Tempest]]'', and that for the evocation of the sea "he intended to borrow, up to a certain point, from Wagner's prelude to ''Das Rheingold'', based on a triad figure". (The relevant section from [[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s memoirs is included in {{bib\|1994/85\|Tschaikowsky aus der Nähe: Kritische Würdigungen und Erinnerungen von Zeitgenossen}} (1994), p. 81.) ''[[The Tempest]]'', however, was completed by Tchaikovsky in October 1873! It seems that [[Rimsky-Korsakov]], who had been greatly impressed by the fantasia at its premiere in December that year, later associated Tchaikovsky's admiration for the ''Rheingold'' prelude after his return from [[Bayreuth]] in 1876 (as described by [[Kashkin]] above) with the composition process of ''[[The Tempest]]'', but this is evidently a misunderstanding. The ''Rheingold'' prelude was not included by Wagner in the concerts he gave in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1863, and Tchaikovsky, as far as we can tell, heard it for the first time at the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876, so it cannot have influenced the writing of ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1873) in any way.</ref>
	<ref name="note25">See also a review of that opera quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского. Летопись жизни и творчества}} (1940), p. 424.</ref>		<ref name="note25">See also a review of that opera quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского. Летопись жизни и творчества}} (1940), p. 424.</ref>
	<ref name="note26">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 301–302.</ref>		<ref name="note26">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 301–302.</ref>
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	<ref name="note35">See also [[Letter 3488]] to [[Praskovya Tchaikovskaya]], 30 January/11 February 1888, where he does not actually say anything about the opera or the performance.</ref>		<ref name="note35">See also [[Letter 3488]] to [[Praskovya Tchaikovskaya]], 30 January/11 February 1888, where he does not actually say anything about the opera or the performance.</ref>
	<ref name="note36">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 306. See also also a letter from [[Sergey Taneyev]] to Tchaikovsky, 11/23 April 1889: "Wagner interests me enormously, especially with regard to his harmony and instrumentation. There is a lot one can learn from him — amongst other things, how one should not write operas. Some time I will talk to you in detail about him." See also {{bib\|1951/48\|П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма}} (1951), p. 158.</ref>		<ref name="note36">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 306. See also also a letter from [[Sergey Taneyev]] to Tchaikovsky, 11/23 April 1889: "Wagner interests me enormously, especially with regard to his harmony and instrumentation. There is a lot one can learn from him — amongst other things, how one should not write operas. Some time I will talk to you in detail about him." See also {{bib\|1951/48\|П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма}} (1951), p. 158.</ref>
	<ref name="note37">David Brown is quoted on this point by Rosamund Bartlett in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 110. In his article {{bib\|1995/69\|Čajkovskij und das russische Silberne Zeitalter}} (1995), p. 155–164, Arkady Klimovitsky also discusses the similarities between ''Tristan'' and ''[[Iolanta]]'' (tonal vagueness, harmonic colour, chromaticism) but argues that Tchaikovsky was seeking to refute Wagner in a certain sense. He quotes a letter which Tchaikovsky wrote to an old friend I. V. Yakovlev when he started to work on ''[[Iolanta]]'': "I have found a subject with which I shall prove to the whole world that the lovers in the finales of operas can stay alive, and that this is completely true and authentic!" Klimovitsky makes the interesting conjecture that Tchaikovsky was thinking of ''Tristan'' in this letter, and that he intended the happy ending of ''[[Iolanta]]'', with the marriage of Vaudémont and Iolanta now cured of her blindness, as a refutation of the inevitable "Liebestod" of ''Tristan and Isolde''.</ref>		<ref name="note37">David Brown is quoted on this point by Rosamund Bartlett in {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 110. In his article {{bib\|1995/69\|Čajkovskij und das russische Silberne Zeitalter}} (1995), p. 155–164, Arkady Klimovitsky also discusses the similarities between ''Tristan'' and ''[[Iolanta]]'' (tonal vagueness, harmonic colour, chromaticism) but argues that Tchaikovsky was seeking to refute Wagner in a certain sense. He quotes a letter which Tchaikovsky wrote to an old friend I. V. Yakovlev when he started to work on ''[[Iolanta]]'': "I have found a subject with which I shall prove to the whole world that the lovers in the finales of operas can stay alive, and that this is completely true and authentic!" Klimovitsky makes the interesting conjecture that Tchaikovsky was thinking of ''Tristan'' in this letter, and that he intended the happy ending of ''[[Iolanta]]'', with the marriage of Vaudémont and Iolanta, now cured of her blindness, as a refutation of the inevitable "Liebestod" of ''Tristan and Isolde''.</ref>
	<ref name="note38">See also {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 111.</ref>		<ref name="note38">See also {{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 111.</ref>
	<ref name="note39">{{bib\|1980/51}} (1980), p. 208–211 (211). This passage is also included in {{bib\|1993/33\|Tchaikovsky Remembered}} (1993).</ref>		<ref name="note39">{{bib\|1980/51}} (1980), p. 208–211 (211). This passage is also included in {{bib\|1993/33\|Tchaikovsky Remembered}} (1993).</ref>

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	<ref name="note7">Tchaikovsky's attendance of a performance of ''Lohengrin'' before 1883 is not actually recorded in any of his published letters or such comprehensive chronologies of his life as {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского. Летопись жизни и творчества}} (1940). However, from what he says about ''Lohengrin'' in the abovementioned article of 1872 ([[TH 270]]), it is clear that he was speaking from first-hand experience of the opera on the stage. Otherwise, the earliest documented reference to Tchaikovsky attending an opera by Wagner is during a brief stay in [[Saint Petersburg]] in January 1876 on his way back to [[Moscow]] from a trip abroad. From letter 439 to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 20 January/1 February 1876, we know that the previous day Tchaikovsky had seen ''Tannhäuser'' at the Mariinsky Theatre, although he says nothing about the performance.</ref>		<ref name="note7">Tchaikovsky's attendance of a performance of ''Lohengrin'' before 1883 is not actually recorded in any of his published letters or such comprehensive chronologies of his life as {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского. Летопись жизни и творчества}} (1940). However, from what he says about ''Lohengrin'' in the abovementioned article of 1872 ([[TH 270]]), it is clear that he was speaking from first-hand experience of the opera on the stage. Otherwise, the earliest documented reference to Tchaikovsky attending an opera by Wagner is during a brief stay in [[Saint Petersburg]] in January 1876 on his way back to [[Moscow]] from a trip abroad. From letter 439 to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 20 January/1 February 1876, we know that the previous day Tchaikovsky had seen ''Tannhäuser'' at the Mariinsky Theatre, although he says nothing about the performance.</ref>
	<ref name="note8">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 303.</ref>		<ref name="note8">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 303.</ref>
	<ref name="note9">See also the following remark in [[Letter 782]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 March 1878: "In spite of Schopenhauer I am every minute of the day filled with a sense of love for life and Nature.</ref>		<ref name="note9">See also the following remark in [[Letter 782]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 March 1878: "In spite of Schopenhauer I am every minute of the day filled with a sense of love for life and Nature."</ref>
	<ref name="note10">[[Herman Laroche]]'s {{bibx\|1898/15\|Foreword}} to {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}} (1898). Quoted here from {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxii.</ref>		<ref name="note10">[[Herman Laroche]]'s {{bibx\|1898/15\|Foreword}} to {{bib\|1898/24\|Музыкальные фельетоны и заметки Петра Ильича Чайковского (1868-1876)}} (1898). Quoted here from {{bib\|2000/42\|Peter Tschaikowsky. Musikalische Essays und Erinnerungen}} (2000), xxxii.</ref>
	<ref name="note11">{{bib\|1980/89\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковском}} (1980), p. 52.</ref>		<ref name="note11">{{bib\|1980/89\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковском}} (1980), p. 52.</ref>
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	<ref name="note17">[[Letter 418]] to [[Hans von Bülow]], 19 November/1 December 1875.</ref>		<ref name="note17">[[Letter 418]] to [[Hans von Bülow]], 19 November/1 December 1875.</ref>
	<ref name="note18">[[Herman Laroche]]'s observations are quoted in {{bib\|1997/94\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1997), p. 326.</ref>		<ref name="note18">[[Herman Laroche]]'s observations are quoted in {{bib\|1997/94\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1997), p. 326.</ref>
	<ref name="note19">While he was in [[Kiev]] in early June 1876 Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Karl Albrecht]] in [[Moscow]], asking his colleague at the Conservatory to send him "a small book dealing with ''The Nibelung's Ring''" ([[Letter 466]] to [[Karl Albrecht]], 2/14 June 1876), and it seems to have been with the help of this book that Tchaikovsky hastily drew up the synopses of the four operas of ''The Ring'' that he used for the second and third chapters of his article ''[[The Bayreuth Music Festival]]'' (TH 314).</ref>		<ref name="note19">While he was in [[Kiev]] in early June 1876, Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Karl Albrecht]] in [[Moscow]], asking his colleague at the Conservatory to send him "a small book dealing with ''The Nibelung's Ring''" ([[Letter 466]] to [[Karl Albrecht]], 2/14 June 1876), and it seems to have been with the help of this book that Tchaikovsky hastily drew up the synopses of the four operas of ''The Ring'' that he used for the second and third chapters of his article ''[[The Bayreuth Music Festival]]'' (TH 314).</ref>
	<ref name="note20">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 101.</ref>		<ref name="note20">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 101.</ref>
	<ref name="note21">[[Herman Laroche]] as quoted in {{bib\|1997/94\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1997), p. 467.</ref>		<ref name="note21">[[Herman Laroche]] as quoted in {{bib\|1997/94\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1997), p. 467.</ref>
	<ref name="note22">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 95.</ref>		<ref name="note22">{{bib\|1999/5\|Tchaikovsky and Wagner. A Reassessment}} (1999), p. 95.</ref>
	<ref name="note23">See also [[Letter 716]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 2/14 January 1878, which is quoted in more detail in the work history for ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.</ref>		<ref name="note23">See also [[Letter 716]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 2/14 January 1878, which is quoted in more detail in the work history for ''[[Yevgeny Onegin]]''.</ref>
	<ref name="note24">{{bib\|1954/50\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковскoм}} (1954), p. 110–111. In his ''Chronicle of My Musical Life'' [Летопись моей музыкальной жизни] (1910) [[Rimsky-Korsakov]] also refers to a similar conversation with Tchaikovsky, but seems to have confused the facts. He recalls there how Tchaikovsky attended one of the gatherings of the "Mighty Handful" in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1876 or 1877 and had informed them that he was working on an orchestral fantasia based on [[Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[The Tempest]]'', and that for the evocation of the sea "he intended to borrow, up to a certain point, from Wagner's prelude to ''Das Rheingold'', based on a triad figure". (The relevant section from [[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s memoirs is included in {{bib\|1994/85\|Tschaikowsky aus der Nähe: Kritische Würdigungen und Erinnerungen von Zeitgenossen}} (1994), p. 81]. ''[[The Tempest]]'', however, was completed by Tchaikovsky in October 1873! It seems that [[Rimsky-Korsakov]], who had been greatly impressed by the fantasia at its premiere in December that year, later associated Tchaikovsky's admiration for the ''Rheingold'' prelude after his return from [[Bayreuth]] in 1876 (as described by [[Kashkin]] above) with the composition process of ''[[The Tempest]]'', but this is evidently a misunderstanding. The ''Rheingold'' prelude was not included by Wagner in the concerts he gave in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1863, and Tchaikovsky, as far as we can tell, heard it for the first time at the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876, so it cannot have influenced the writing of ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1873) in any way.</ref>		<ref name="note24">{{bib\|1954/50\|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковскoм}} (1954), p. 110–111. In his ''Chronicle of My Musical Life'' [Летопись моей музыкальной жизни] (1910), [[Rimsky-Korsakov]] also refers to a similar conversation with Tchaikovsky, but seems to have confused the facts. He recalls there how Tchaikovsky attended one of the gatherings of the "Mighty Handful" in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1876 or 1877 and had informed them that he was working on an orchestral fantasia based on [[Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[The Tempest]]'', and that for the evocation of the sea "he intended to borrow, up to a certain point, from Wagner's prelude to ''Das Rheingold'', based on a triad figure". (The relevant section from [[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s memoirs is included in {{bib\|1994/85\|Tschaikowsky aus der Nähe: Kritische Würdigungen und Erinnerungen von Zeitgenossen}} (1994), p. 81]. ''[[The Tempest]]'', however, was completed by Tchaikovsky in October 1873! It seems that [[Rimsky-Korsakov]], who had been greatly impressed by the fantasia at its premiere in December that year, later associated Tchaikovsky's admiration for the ''Rheingold'' prelude after his return from [[Bayreuth]] in 1876 (as described by [[Kashkin]] above) with the composition process of ''[[The Tempest]]'', but this is evidently a misunderstanding. The ''Rheingold'' prelude was not included by Wagner in the concerts he gave in [[Saint Petersburg]] in 1863, and Tchaikovsky, as far as we can tell, heard it for the first time at the [[Bayreuth]] festival in 1876, so it cannot have influenced the writing of ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1873) in any way.</ref>
	<ref name="note25">See also a review of that opera quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского. Летопись жизни и творчества}} (1940), p. 424.</ref>		<ref name="note25">See also a review of that opera quoted in {{bib\|1940/107\|Дни и годы П. И. Чайковского. Летопись жизни и творчества}} (1940), p. 424.</ref>
	<ref name="note26">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 301–302.</ref>		<ref name="note26">{{bib\|1998/40\|Čajkovskijs Wagner-Rezeption. Daten und Texte}} (1998), p. 301–302.</ref>