Letter 2762a
| Date | 9/21 September 1885 |
|---|---|
| Addressed to | Emiliya Pavlovskaya |
| Where written | Maydanovo |
| Language | Russian |
| Autograph Location | Moscow (Russia): Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum (Pavlovskaya collection) |
| Publication | Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 3 (1902), p. 70 (abridged) Чайковский на Московской сцене (1940), p. 357–358 П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIII (1971), p. 166–167 (dated "9 October", as No. 2787). |
| Notes | Original incorrectly dated "9 October" |
Text and Translation
| Russian text (original) |
English translation By Luis Sundkvist |
9 окт[ября] Клин, с[ело] Майданово Дорогая Эмилия Карловна!
Узнав недавно, что Вы ни разу ещё не пели, я обеспокоился и вообразил, что Вы нездоровы, но Корсов, с которым я на днях в Москве встретился, сказал мне, что ему известно, что Вы больны не были. Однакож мне очень бы хотелось узнать, что Вы поделываете и почему до сих пор ещё не выступали на сцене. Из газет вижу, что в «Кармен» поёт одна Славина. В чём дело? Соскучился без известий о Вас и прошу вкратце сообщить мне сведения о Вашем житье-бытье. Я теперь переехал в новое помещение, нанятое мной на долгий срок *. Все мои разъехались, и одиночество моё полное. Симфонию свою я кончил и, не медля ни единого часа, принялся за оперу. Ах, какой молодец этот Шпажинский и какого хорошего сотрудника послала мне в нём судьба! Первое действие, которое я покамест одно только имею, написано великолепно; жизни, движения бездна. Если никаких особенных препятствий не будет, я надеюсь к весне окончить все эскизы, посвятить будущий год инструментовке и отделке, так что к сезону 87–88-го года опера будет готова. Если очень торопиться и из кожи лезть, то даже к будущему сезону я мог бы приготовить, но мне не хочется слишком напрягать себя. А Вас, дорогая Эмилия Карловна, прошу при всяком удобном случае замолвливать словечко о «Черевичках» в репертуаре будущего сезона. На днях (т. е. 20 числа) я уезжаю в Киевскую гувернию на серебряную свадьбу сестры моей и вернусь около 10-го ноября. Засим буду ожидать в Майданове постановку в Москве «Черевичек» и побываю непременно в Петербурге, хотя бы для того, чтобы увидать Вас и на сцене и дома. Кланяйтесь от меня очень, очень Сергею Евграфовичу, а также милейшему Эдуарду Францевичу и Кондратьеву. Целую Ваши ручки, Благодетельница. Ваш, П. Чайковский * Тут же, в Майданове. |
Dear Emiliya Karlovna!
On finding out recently that you have not sung in any performance so far I got worried and started to think you must be unwell, but Korsov, whom I met in Moscow the other day, told me that he knew for certain that you hadn't been ill. Nevertheless, I would very much like to know how you are getting on and why you haven't appeared on the stage as yet. From the newspapers I have seen that only Slavina is singing in Carmen. What's going on? Not having had any news from you, I am missing you and therefore kindly ask you to inform me in brief about your life. I have now moved into new lodgings [1] which I am renting for a long period *. All my relatives have left, and I am living in complete solitude. I have finished my symphony, and, without tarrying a single hour, I set about composing the opera. Oh, what a fine fellow this Shpazhinsky is, and what a splendid colleague Fate has accorded to me in his person! The first act, which is the only one I have so far, is written magnificently: it is teeming with life and action. As long as no particular obstacles crop up, I hope to have finished all the sketches by spring and I shall devote next year to the orchestration and polishing of the score, so that the opera should be ready for the 1887-88 season. If I were to make great haste and go all out, I might even be able to get it ready for next season, but I don't want to strain myself too much. As for you, dear Emiliya Karlovna, I would like to ask you to put in a word for Cherevichki at every convenient opportunity, with a view to getting this opera included in next season's repertoire. I will soon (that is, on the 20th) be going away to Kiev province to attend my sister's silver wedding, and shall return around the 10th of November [2]. After that I shall await at Maydanovo the staging of Cherevichki in Moscow and will definitely make a trip to Petersburg, even if it is just for the sake of seeing you both on the stage and at home. Give my very, very warm regards to Sergey Yevgrafovich [3], as well as to dearest Eduard Frantsevich and to Kondratyev. I kiss your hands, Benefactress [4]. Yours, P. Tchaikovsky * Right here in Maydanovo. |
Notes and References
- ↑ In September 1885 Tchaikovsky moved into the house of the proprietress of Maydanovo, Mrs Novikova. The removal arrangements were taken care of by Tchaikovsky's servant Aleksey Sofronov during his master's brief stay in Moscow from 15/27 September to 19 September/1 October. Tchaikovsky would live in this new house until April 1888 — note by Vasily Kiselev in Чайковский на московской сцене (1940), p. 358.
- ↑ Tchaikovsky set off from Maydanovo on 19/31 October 1885 and went to Moscow, where he spent six days before travelling, via Kharkov, to Kamenka in order to attend the celebrations for the silver wedding of Aleksandra and Lev Davydov, which took place on 6/18 November. He stayed on at Kamenka for a few more days, then on the way back stopped over in Moscow for six days again and arrived back in Maydanovo on 18/30 November 1885 — note by Vasily Kiselev in Чайковский на московской сцене (1940), p. 359.
- ↑ Emiliya Pavlovskaya's husband, Sergey Yevgrafovich Pavlovsky (1846–1915), was also a singer (a baritone) and a member of the Saint Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre's troupe.
- ↑ From his earliest letters to Pavlovskaya Tchaikovsky had called her his "benefactress", thereby emphasizing how grateful he was to her for her enthusiastic attitude towards Mazepa (in which she created the role of Mariya at the opera's premiere), as well as towards Yevgeny Onegin, in which she sang Tatyana many times.
