Letter 1061 - Revision history

Tony: Omitted "it" due to sentence structure

2024-07-02T10:09:55Z

Omitted "it" due to sentence structure

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:09, 2 July 2024
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	\|Translated text={{right\|''[[Clarens]]''<br/>19/7 January 1879}}		\|Translated text={{right\|''[[Clarens]]''<br/>19/7 January 1879}}
	{{centre\|Dear friend!}}		{{centre\|Dear friend!}}
	Yesterday I received your transfer of 500 francs. Its arrival was exceptionally apposite, because I hadn't any money whatsoever here for two whole days. This is, let us say, a minor misfortune, because there is almost nothing to spend money on here — but it's somehow shameful to be completely without any base metal. Furthermore, tomorrow I'll be hit with the bill for the first 8 days, and although I could comfortably live here on credit for as long as I want, this would be unpleasant. Thank you countless times. Did I write to you that I've received the ''manuscript''? You couldn't imagine how glad I was to see these grubby sheets of music paper. They were infinitely dear to me because I would never have been able to set down my ideas for the missing three movements as precisely the second time as I did the first. There is one ''andante'' which I'm very pleased with. However, I won't be taking up their instrumentation now. I'm stuck up to my neck in the opera. My progress has been such that I'll have the whole of the large first act ready in three days. The work is going very straightforwardly, but what I find overwhelmingly difficult, tiring and irritating, is the libretto, which I've manufactured myself. I assure you that this fabrication isn't at all bad, but how much it has cost me! To the extent that musical composition comes pleasantly and easily to me, literary composition costs me tortuous effort. I've surrounded myself with numerous sources, but primarily I've drawn on ''[[Zhukovsky]]—[[Schiller]]''. Thanks to work and a strict routine (in this respect I'm not an artist at all, and I detest careless time-keeping), the days pass unnoticed. The silence here is perfect, and God alone knows how much I love this silence, and how infinitely precious it is the absolute assurance that not a single Dutch cock will come to visit me! However, I will say frankly that with such work as composing a large, important {{*}} opera, it's better to live in a big city in order to have the opportunity to refresh oneself with amusements. But what's to be done!		Yesterday I received your transfer of 500 francs. Its arrival was exceptionally apposite, because I hadn't any money whatsoever here for two whole days. This is, let us say, a minor misfortune, because there is almost nothing to spend money on here — but it's somehow shameful to be completely without any base metal. Furthermore, tomorrow I'll be hit with the bill for the first 8 days, and although I could comfortably live here on credit for as long as I want, this would be unpleasant. Thank you countless times. Did I write to you that I've received the ''manuscript''? You couldn't imagine how glad I was to see these grubby sheets of music paper. They were infinitely dear to me because I would never have been able to set down my ideas for the missing three movements as precisely the second time as I did the first. There is one ''andante'' which I'm very pleased with. However, I won't be taking up their instrumentation now. I'm stuck up to my neck in the opera. My progress has been such that I'll have the whole of the large first act ready in three days. The work is going very straightforwardly, but what I find overwhelmingly difficult, tiring and irritating is the libretto, which I've manufactured myself. I assure you that this fabrication isn't at all bad, but how much it has cost me! To the extent that musical composition comes pleasantly and easily to me, literary composition costs me tortuous effort. I've surrounded myself with numerous sources, but primarily I've drawn on ''[[Zhukovsky]]—[[Schiller]]''. Thanks to work and a strict routine (in this respect I'm not an artist at all, and I detest careless time-keeping), the days pass unnoticed. The silence here is perfect, and God alone knows how much I love this silence, and how infinitely precious is the absolute assurance that not a single Dutch cock will come to visit me! However, I will say frankly that with such work as composing a large, important {{*}} opera, it's better to live in a big city in order to have the opportunity to refresh oneself with amusements. But what's to be done!

	Did you know that "''[[Onegin]]''" will be performed at [[Abaza]]'s in [[Petersburg]]? [[Lavrovskaya]], [[Abaza]], [[Panayeva]], [[Pryanishnikov]] and Lody will be singing. I don't know whether it will be on stage with costumes, or in the hall?		Did you know that "''[[Onegin]]''" will be performed at [[Abaza]]'s in [[Petersburg]]? [[Lavrovskaya]], [[Abaza]], [[Panayeva]], [[Pryanishnikov]] and Lody will be singing. I don't know whether it will be on stage with costumes, or in the hall?

Brett: 1 revision imported

2022-07-12T12:19:57Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 14:19, 12 July 2022
(No difference)

Brett at 16:23, 8 October 2020

2020-10-08T16:23:02Z

New page

{{letterhead
|Date=7/19 January 1879
|To=[[Pyotr Jurgenson]]
|Place=[[Clarens]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}} (a{{sup|3}}, No. 2228)
|Publication={{bib|1938/40|П. И. Чайковский. Переписка с П. И. Юргенсоном ; том 1}} (1938), p. 72–73 (abridged)<br/>{{bib|1963/6|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VIII}} (1963), p. 29–30 (abridged)
}}
==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{right|''Кларанс''<br/>19/7 я[нваря] 1879}}
{{centre|Милый друг!}}
Вчера получил посланный тобой перевод на 500 фр[анков]. Он пришёл необыкновенно кстати, ибо я уже два дни не имел никаких денег. Оно горе, положим, небольшое, потому что здесь почти не на что тратить денег, — но все как-то неловко быть вовсе без презренного металла. К тому же, завтра счёт подадут за первые 8 дней, и хотя я здесь мог бы сколько угодно жить в долг, — но это неприятно. Благодарю тебя несчётное число раз. Писал ли я тебе или нет, что ''рукопись'' получена? Ты не можешь себе представить, до чего я был рад увидеть эти грязные листы нотной бумаги. Они для меня были бесконечно дороги, ибо никогда я бы не мог второй раз так же точно изложить те мысли, на коих основаны пропадавшие три части, как в первый раз. Там есть одно ''andante'', которым я очень доволен. Однако ж теперь за инструментовку никоим образом не примусь. Я по горло погряз в опере. Дело подвинулось настолько, что дня через три у меня будет готово целое большое первое действие. Работа идёт очень легко, но что меня несказанно затрудняет, утомляет и раздражает, — это либретто, которое я фабрикую собственными средствами. Уверяю тебя, что фабрикация эта совсем не дурна, но чего мне она стоит! Насколько музыкальное сочинительство мне приятно, легко и усладительно, — настолько литературное мне достаётся ценой убийственно томительной натуги. Я окружил себя многими источниками, но преимущественно черпаю из ''Жуковского—Шиллера''. Благодаря работе и строго установленному порядку жизни (в этом отношении я совсем не артист и ненавижу безалаберность в распределении часов), дни проходят незаметно. Тишина здесь идеальная, и единому Богу известно, до чего я люблю эту тишину, до чего для меня бесконечно дорога совершенная уверенность в том, что ни один хуй голландский не придёт навестить меня! Впрочем откровенно скажу, что при такой работе, как сочинение большой, капитальной {{*}} оперы, — лучше жить в большом городе, чтобы иметь возможность освежать себя развлечениями. Но нечего делать!

Знаешь ли ты, что «''Онегин''» будет исполняться в Петербурге у Абазы? Будут петь Лавровская, Абаза, Панаева, Прянишников, Лодий. Я не знаю только, на сцене и в костюмах это будет или в зале?

Прощай, душа моя!
{{right|Твой П. Чайковский}}
-----
{{*}} Конечно, не в смысле музыкальных достоинств, а в смысле серьёзности сюжета

|Translated text={{right|''[[Clarens]]''<br/>19/7 January 1879}}
{{centre|Dear friend!}}
Yesterday I received your transfer of 500 francs. Its arrival was exceptionally apposite, because I hadn't any money whatsoever here for two whole days. This is, let us say, a minor misfortune, because there is almost nothing to spend money on here — but it's somehow shameful to be completely without any base metal. Furthermore, tomorrow I'll be hit with the bill for the first 8 days, and although I could comfortably live here on credit for as long as I want, this would be unpleasant. Thank you countless times. Did I write to you that I've received the ''manuscript''? You couldn't imagine how glad I was to see these grubby sheets of music paper. They were infinitely dear to me because I would never have been able to set down my ideas for the missing three movements as precisely the second time as I did the first. There is one ''andante'' which I'm very pleased with. However, I won't be taking up their instrumentation now. I'm stuck up to my neck in the opera. My progress has been such that I'll have the whole of the large first act ready in three days. The work is going very straightforwardly, but what I find overwhelmingly difficult, tiring and irritating, is the libretto, which I've manufactured myself. I assure you that this fabrication isn't at all bad, but how much it has cost me! To the extent that musical composition comes pleasantly and easily to me, literary composition costs me tortuous effort. I've surrounded myself with numerous sources, but primarily I've drawn on ''[[Zhukovsky]]—[[Schiller]]''. Thanks to work and a strict routine (in this respect I'm not an artist at all, and I detest careless time-keeping), the days pass unnoticed. The silence here is perfect, and God alone knows how much I love this silence, and how infinitely precious it is the absolute assurance that not a single Dutch cock will come to visit me! However, I will say frankly that with such work as composing a large, important {{*}} opera, it's better to live in a big city in order to have the opportunity to refresh oneself with amusements. But what's to be done!

Did you know that "''[[Onegin]]''" will be performed at [[Abaza]]'s in [[Petersburg]]? [[Lavrovskaya]], [[Abaza]], [[Panayeva]], [[Pryanishnikov]] and Lody will be singing. I don't know whether it will be on stage with costumes, or in the hall?

Farewell, my dear chap!
{{right|Yours, P. Tchaikovsky}}
------
{{*}} Not, of course, in the sense of musical merit, but in terms of the seriousness of the subject.
}}