Letter 8 and Natalya Plesskaya: Difference between pages

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{{letterhead
{{picture|file=Natalya Plesskaya.jpg|caption='''Natalya Plesskaya''' (b. 1837)}}
|Date=2/14 May 1850
Cousin to the composer's brother-in-law [[Lev Davydov]] (b. 1837), born '''''Natalya Andreyevna Plesskaya''''' (Наталия Андреевна Плесская), sometimes also spelled ''Pleskaya'' (Плеская).
|To=[[Fanny Dürbach]]
|Place=[[Alapayevsk]]
|Language=French
|Autograph={{locunknown}}
|Publication={{bib|1900/35|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1900), p. 56–57 <br/>{{bib|1959/50|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том V}} (1959), p. 11 (French text with Russian translation, p. 12)<br/>{{bib|1995/134|П. И. Чайковский. Забытое и новое}} (1995), p. 48 (Russian translation)
|Notes=Manuscript copy in: [[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}}
}}
==Text and Translation==
Based on a manuscript copy in the [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive made by [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], which may contain differences in formatting and content from Tchaikovsky's original letter. Spelling and punctuation errors in the French text have not been indicated.
{{Lettertext
|Language=French
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Original text={{right|Alapaeff<br/>2 Mai 1850}}
{{centre|Chère et bonne M[ademois]elle Fanny!}}
C'est avec une grande joie que j'ai appris la nouvelle que Vous avez un élève si bon et si diligent. Je crois que vous êtes contente de lui parceque une docilité comme celle de votre élève peut contenter une gouvernante dans chaque temps et la consoler dans la douleur. Je veux aussi vous apprendre, ma chère M[ademois]elle Fanny, une nouvelle qui peut etre vous rejouira un peu; c'est la naissance de mes frères qui sont jume a ux (la nuit du premier Mai).


Je les ai déjà vus plusieurs fois; mais chaque fois que je les vois je crois que ce sont des Anges qui ont descendu sur la terre. Vous me demandez, chère M[ademois]elle Fanny qu'est ce que j'apprends: je vous citerai les sciences dont ma chère gouvernante m'enseigne: la grammaire Française, russe et allemande. La geographie, l'histoire universelle, aussi l'histoire sainte et l'Arithmetique; je traduis, j'analyse en français, en russe et en allemand et bien souvent la conjugaison.  
Natalya was a close friend of the composer's sister [[Aleksandra Davydova|Aleksandra]], and a cousin to his brother-in-law [[Lev Davydov]] (1837–1896). Tchaikovsky was very fond of Natalya Plesskaya, and admired her sunny disposition and ready wit.  


«Le Voyage autour du monde» et «1-ier 'histoire d'Ermac» sont mes lectures. Le 1'ier ma gouvernante m'a fait cadeau, le second M[ada]me Lubarsky pour le souvenir de notre examen, quand il était pendant les fêtes de Noël.  
==Dedications==
In 1878, Tchaikovsky wrote a ''[[Nathalie-Valse]]'' for Natalya Plesskaya. He retained the dedication of this piano piece ("à Mademoiselle Natha Plessky") when it was reworked as ''Natha-Valse'', No. 4 of the [[Six Pieces, Op. 51]] (1881).


Sachinka et Polinka vous saluent et vous baisent bien tendrement. Caroline vous présente ses respects.
==Correspondence with Tchaikovsky==
16 letters from Tchaikovsky to Natalya Plesskaya have survived, dating from 1879 to 1893. Those highlighted in bold have been translated into English on this website:
* '''[[Letter 1060]]''' – 6/18 January 1879, from [[Clarens]]
* [[Letter 1376]] – 13/25 December 1879, from [[Rome]]
* '''[[Letter 1388]]''' – 23 December 1879/4 January 1880, from [[Rome]]
* '''[[Letter 1941]]''' – 22 January/3 February 1882, from [[Rome]]
* [[Letter 1986]] – 6/18 March 1882, from [[Naples]]
* [[Letter 2014]] – 4/16 May 1882, from [[Kamenka]]
* [[Letter 2269]] – 20 April/2 May 1883, from [[Paris]]
* [[Letter 2330]] – 16/28 August 1883, from [[Podushkino]]
* [[Letter 2333]] – 22 August/3 September 1883, from [[Podushkino]]
* [[Letter 2536]] – 28 August/9 September 1884, from [[Skabeyevo]]
* [[Letter 2687]] – 15/27 April 1885, from [[Maydanovo]]
* [[Letter 2744]] – 31 July/12 August 1885, from [[Maydanovo]]
* '''[[Letter 3640a]]''' – 11/23 August 1888, from [[Frolovskoye]]
* [[Letter 4859]] – 6/18 February 1893, from [[Klin]]
* '''[[Letter 4907]]''' – 5/17 April 1893, from [[Klin]]
* '''[[Letter 4958]]''' – 19 June/1 July 1893, from [[Grankino]]


Adieu ma bien bonne et bienaimée M[ademois]elle Fanny; je vous souhaite tout le bonheur possibles.
250 letters from Natalya Plesskaya to the composer, dating from 1878 to 1893, are preserved in the {{RUS-KLč}} at [[Klin]] (a{{sup|4}}, Nos. 3363–3612) <ref name="note1"/>


Votre reconnaissant éleve,
==Bibliography==
{{right|Pierre}}
* {{bib|1938/67}} (1938)
 
* {{bib|1951/51}} (1951)
|Translated text={{right|[[Alapayevsk]]<br/>2 May 1850}}
{{centre|Dear and good Mademoiselle [[Fanny]]!}}
It is with great joy that I learnt the news that you have a pupil who is so good and hard-working <ref name="note1"/>. I think that you must be satisfied with him, because such good behaviour as that of your pupil can satisfy a governess at all times and console her in her grief. I, too, want to tell you some news, my dear Mademoiselle [[Fanny]], that perhaps will gladden you a little — namely, the birth of my twin brothers (on the night of the first of May).
 
I have already seen them several times, but each time that I see them it seems to me that they are Angels who have descended on earth. You ask me, dear Mademoiselle [[Fanny]], what it is that I am studying. I shall list for you the subjects which my dear governess <ref name="note2"/> is teaching me: French, Russian, and German grammar, geography, universal history, and also sacred history and arithmetic. I translate and analyse texts in French, Russian and German, and quite often I conjugate verbs.
 
"Le voyage autour du monde" <ref name="note3"/> and the story of Ermak <ref name="note4"/> are the books I am reading. The first was given to me as a present by my governess, the second was given to me by Mrs Lyubarskaya as a souvenir of our exam, which took place during the Christmas holidays.
 
[[Aleksandra Davydova|Sashinka]] and [[Nikolay Tchaikovsky|Polinka]] send you their greetings and kiss you very affectionately. Caroline <ref name="note5"/> sends you her compliments.
 
Goodbye, my very kind and much-loved Mademoiselle [[Fanny]]. I wish you every possible happiness.
 
Your grateful pupil,
{{right|Pyotr}}
}}


==Notes and References==
==Notes and References==
<references>
<references>
<ref name="note1">[[Fanny Dürbach]] was then working as a governess in Sarapul, a small city in the Western Urals area, some 70 km to the south of [[Votkinsk]]. [[Alapayevsk]], where the Tchaikovsky family was living at the time, was in the Eastern Urals area.</ref>
<ref name="note1">Including one letter dating from 5/17-10/22 January 1891, written jointly by Plesskaya and the composer's sister [[Aleksandra Davydova|Aleksandra]] (a{{sup|4}}, No. 3582).</ref>
<ref name="note2">Pyotr's new governess was Anastasya Petrovna Petrova (1824–1893).</ref>
<ref name="note3">The famous travel book by the French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811).</ref>
<ref name="note4">Ermak was a famous Cossack who led the Russian colonisation of Siberia in the sixteenth century. There exist many historical accounts and literary works celebrating his exploits.</ref>
<ref name="note5">Caroline (or in Russian spelling, "Karolina") was the nanny in charge of the composer's younger siblings [[Aleksandra Davydova|Aleksandra]] and [[Ippolit]].</ref>
</references>
</references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0008}}
 
[[Category:People|Plesskaya, Natalya]]
[[Category:Correspondents|Plesskaya, Natalya]]
__NOTOC__

Revision as of 14:58, 13 February 2024

Natalya Plesskaya (b. 1837)

Cousin to the composer's brother-in-law Lev Davydov (b. 1837), born Natalya Andreyevna Plesskaya (Наталия Андреевна Плесская), sometimes also spelled Pleskaya (Плеская).

Natalya was a close friend of the composer's sister Aleksandra, and a cousin to his brother-in-law Lev Davydov (1837–1896). Tchaikovsky was very fond of Natalya Plesskaya, and admired her sunny disposition and ready wit.

Dedications

In 1878, Tchaikovsky wrote a Nathalie-Valse for Natalya Plesskaya. He retained the dedication of this piano piece ("à Mademoiselle Natha Plessky") when it was reworked as Natha-Valse, No. 4 of the Six Pieces, Op. 51 (1881).

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

16 letters from Tchaikovsky to Natalya Plesskaya have survived, dating from 1879 to 1893. Those highlighted in bold have been translated into English on this website:

250 letters from Natalya Plesskaya to the composer, dating from 1878 to 1893, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (a4, Nos. 3363–3612) [1]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. ↑ Including one letter dating from 5/17-10/22 January 1891, written jointly by Plesskaya and the composer's sister Aleksandra (a4, No. 3582).
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