Letter 4664

Tchaikovsky Research
Date 14/26 April 1892
Addressed to Modest Tchaikovsky
Where written Moscow
Language Russian
Autograph Location Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve (a3, No. 1993)
Publication Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 3 (1902), p. 534 (abridged)
П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким. Избранное (1955), p. 512
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XVI-Б (1979), p. 77
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Letters to his family. An autobiography (1981), p. 513 (English translation)

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original)
English translation
By Brett Langston
Москва
14 апр[еля] [18]92

Модя! Ради Бога, прости, — такое сумасшедшее время, что решительно писать нельзя. Репетиции (ещё ни разу не дирижировал вследствие болезней артистов), корректуры, гости и т. д. не дают минуты покоя. Тороплюсь с корректурой «Иоланты» — она забирает весь досуг. Тяжёлое время переживаю, но совершенно здоров.

Обнимаю вас обоих.

Твой, П. Чайковский

Напишу, честное слово, на днях.

Moscow
14 April 1892

Modya! For God's sake forgive me — it's such a mad time that I'm absolutely unable to write. Rehearsals (which I still haven't conducted because the artists are ill) [1], proofs, guests, etc., don't give me a minute's peace. I'm pressing on with the proofs of Iolanta — which is taking up every spare moment [2]. It's a trying experience, but I'm completely well.

I hug you both.

Yours, P. Tchaikovsky

I'll write soon, on my word of honour.

Notes and References

  1. Ippolit Pryanishnikov's opera company were rehearsing Charles Gounod's opera Faust. Owing to the indisposition of the artists, the performance was delayed until 20 April/2 May 1892.
  2. Tchaikovsky was correcting Sergey Taneyev's vocal-piano reduction of the opera Iolanta.