Letter 3232
| Date | 20 April/2 May 1887 |
|---|---|
| Addressed to | Modest Tchaikovsky |
| Where written | Maydanovo |
| Language | Russian |
| Autograph Location | Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve (a3, No. 1843) |
| Publication | П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким. Избранное (1955), p. 378 (abridged) П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIV (1974), p. 94–95 Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Letters to his family. An autobiography (1981), p. 376 (English translation; abridged) |
Text and Translation
| Russian text (original) |
English translation By Brett Langston |
20 апр[еля] Я все ещё здесь. Работаю страшно и всё-таки не могу никак дойти до конца 4-го действия. Должно быть, ещё дня 4 или 5 проработаю. Новичиха здесь. Все такая же; она продала лес и имеет деньги. Хотя мне очень хорошо здесь живётся, но из Каменки и из Тифлиса зовут поскорей ехать, и это меня суетит и тревожит. Думаешь ли ты о новой пиэсе? Есть ли уже план? Вчера меня совершенно очаровал рассказ Чехова в «Нов[ом] времени». Не правда ли, большой талант? Никому не пишу, не вижу никого и так вдался в «Чародейку», что точно будто я сам действующее лицо. Целую тебя и Колю. Я думаю, у него скоро экзамены. Твой П. Чайковский Боб престранно со мной поступил, т. е. выказал непостижимое пренебрежение и невнимание. Завтра я высылаю тебе 100 р[ублей]. |
20 April I'm still here. I'm working terribly hard and yet I'm still nowhere near the end of the 4th act [1]. I must still have another 4 or 5 days of work. Novichikha [2] is here. Nothing has changed: she sold the forest and has the money. Although living here suits me very well, they are too quick to call on me from Kamenka and from Tiflis, which is bothersome and a nuisance for me. Are you thinking about a new play? Have you come up with a plan? Yesterday I was utterly captivated by Chekhov's story in the New Time [3]. Is that not a great talent? I write to no-one, I see no-one, and I'm away into "The Enchantress" as if I were a character in it myself. I kiss you and Kolya. I think he will be taking his examinations soon. Yours P. Tchaikovsky Bob has been behaving strangely towards me, i.e. showing an unfathomable disdain and inattentiveness. Tomorrow I'm sending you 100 rubles. |
Notes and References
- ↑ Tchaikovsky was orchestrating the last act of his opera The Enchantress.
- ↑ Nadezhda Vasilyevna Novikova, who was the owner of the Maydanovo estate where Tchaikovsky was renting a house.
- ↑ Anton Chekhov's short story The Laymen (Миряне) was published in the Saint Petersburg newspaper New Time (Новое время) on 18/30 April 1887.
