Letter 4819

Tchaikovsky Research
Date 7/19 December 1892
Addressed to Anatoly Tchaikovsky
Where written Saint Petersburg
Language Russian
Autograph Location Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve (a3, No. 3231)
Publication Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 3 (1902), p. 581 (abridged)
П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким. Избранное (1955), p. 521
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XVI-Б (1979), p. 201
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Letters to his family. An autobiography (1981), p. 523 (English translation) (dated 9/21 December})

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original)
English translation
By Brett Langston
7 дек[абря]

Милый Толя! Опера и балет имели вчера большой успех. Особенно опера всем очень понравилась. Накануне была репетиция с государем. Он был в восхищении, призывал в ложу и наговорил массу сочувственных слов. Постановка того и другого великолепна и в балете даже слишком великолепна, — глаза устают от этой роскоши. Более подробно я напишу тебе сегодня же или завтра. Пока крепко всех вас обнимаю.

П. Ч.

7 December

Dear Tolya! The opera and ballet had great success yesterday [1]. The opera in particular was to everyone's liking. The night before we had a rehearsal with the Emperor [2]. He was enraptured, called me to the box and uttered a mass of sympathetic words. Both were staged magnificently, and the ballet was even too magnificent: the eyes tire of such sumptuousness. I'll write to you today or tomorrow with more details. Until then I hug you all tightly.

P. T.

Notes and References

  1. The premieres of the opera Iolanta and the ballet The Nutcracker took place at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg on 6/18 December.
  2. Tsar Alexander III.