Letter 3200
| Date | 14/26 March 1887 |
|---|---|
| Addressed to | Ippolit Altani |
| Where written | Maydanovo |
| Language | Russian |
| Autograph Location | Moscow (Russia): Russian National Museum of Music (Ф. 7, No. 58) |
| Publication | П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIV (1974), p. 63–64 |
Text and Translation
| Russian text (original) |
English translation By Brett Langston |
14 марта Милый друг! Пожалуйста отнесись как можно внимательнее к опере Иванова. Я считаю её прелестней шею вещью. Есть места, которые меня почти до слез восхищают: так это все тепло, прелестно, изящно! Разумеется, с таким начальником, как Майков, далеко не уедешь, но Бог даст, он не долго останется. Ах, как я был бы счастлив, если б «Руфь» поставили в Москве. Это было бы более достойно императорского театра, чем какой-нибудь «Бульба»!! Обнимаю тебя. Дирижировал в Петербурге успешно. До свиданья, милый друг. П. Чайковский |
14 March Dear friend! Please give as much attention as possible to Ivanov's opera [1]. I consider it to be the most adorable thing. There are places that almost moved me to tears [2]: it is all so warm, adorable, exquisite! Naturally, with somebody like Maykov [3] in charge, it won't go far, but God willing he won't be there for long. Oh, how happy I should be if "Ruth" were staged in Moscow. This would be far more worthy of the Imperial Theatres than something like "Bulba"!! [4] I embrace you. I conducted successfully in Petersburg [5]. Until we meet, dear friend. P. Tchaikovsky |
Notes and References
- ↑ "Ruth" (Руфь), an opera in a prologue and three acts by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov was written between 1883 and 1886 to a libretto by Aleksey Tolstoy and Aleksandr Ostrovsky, and was dedicated to Tchaikovsky. The first performance took place in Tiflis on 27 January/8 February 1887, but it was not staged at the Imperial Theatres in Moscow or Saint Petersburg during the 19th century.
- ↑ In his diary entry the same date, 14/26 March 1887, Tchaikovsky wrote: "Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov played and [his wife] sang adorable extracts from his opera (I especially admired the duet). They left at 6 o'clock".
- ↑ Apollon Aleksandrovich Maykov (1826-1902), director of the Imperial Theatres in Moscow.
- ↑ A reference to the opera Taras Bulba by the composer Vladimir Kashperov.
- ↑ On 5/17 March 1887 Tchaikovsky had conducted a concert of his own works given by the Philharmonic Society in Saint Petersburg.
