Yuliya Shpazhinskaya

Tchaikovsky Research
Yuliya Shpazhinskaya (c.1850-1919)

Russian pianist (b. around 1850; d. 1919 in Sevastopol), born Yuliya Petrovna Porokhontseva (Юлия Петровна Порохонцева); known after her marriage as Yuliya Petrovna Shpazhinskaya (Юлия Петровна Шпажинская).

A student of the Polish pianist Teodor Leszetycki (1830–1915), Yuliya married the dramatist Ippolit Shpazhinsky (1848–1917). Tchaikovsky became friendly with her while collaborating with her husband on the libretto for the opera The Enchantress in 1885. Tchaikovsky attempted to encourage Yuliya's own literary ambitions, and their correspondence lasted several years until the composer's death.

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

82 letters from Tchaikovsky to Yuliya Shpazhinskaya have survived, dating from 1885 to 1891, of which those highlighted in bold have been translated into English on this website:

82 letters from Yuliya Shpazhinskaya to the composer, dating from 1885 to 1891, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (a4, Nos. 5883–5964).

Bibliography