Letter 1087 - Revision history

Tony: "for" to "from" / Added "to" for clarity of meaning

2024-07-04T12:45:44Z

"for" to "from" / Added "to" for clarity of meaning

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:45, 4 July 2024
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	\|Translated text={{right\|{{datestyle\|''[[Clarens]]''\|29 January\|20 February\|1879}}}}		\|Translated text={{right\|{{datestyle\|''[[Clarens]]''\|29 January\|20 February\|1879}}}}
	I have received your letter, most respected [[Vladimir Vasilyevich]]! Your sympathetic words regarding me are very welcome, and I thank you for them ~~for~~ all my heart. You are not mistaken in presuming that I am sympathetic to you. I am far from being an admirer of your articles on music. I do not like the essence of your opinions, nor the harsh inflammatory tone in which they are presented. But, at the same time, I know very well that even those aspects of your activity with which I cannot sympathise at all, have a sympathetic basis, i.e. an undoubted sincerity, a passionate love for art, selfless devotion those chosen ones, who, in your opinion, are destined to elevate Russian art. If you are mistaken, then, of course this is ''de bone fide''. Everything that you say and write is what you think. You are an absolutely straightforward person and writer, and for the sake of this quality, which is as wonderful as it is rare, I am partially reconciled to you as a critic. As regards your kindness, your constant readiness, despite your many activities, to devote your time to those who, like me, have appealed and do appeal to your erudition, your knowledge and experience — then these qualities touch me deeply, and that is why, no matter what, I shall always love you as a person. It is all the more sad to realise that a bottomless abyss lies between us, that neither of us shall ever cross. What for me have been, and will be until my last breath, the apex of artistic revelations, you call rubbish. Where I find nothing besides ignorance, ugliness and a parody of art — you see pearls of aesthetic beauty. Where I see light, benefit and immeasurable merit — there you see the infliction of harm, darkness, and even ''crimes''.		I have received your letter, most respected [[Vladimir Vasilyevich]]! Your sympathetic words regarding me are very welcome, and I thank you for them from all my heart. You are not mistaken in presuming that I am sympathetic to you. I am far from being an admirer of your articles on music. I do not like the essence of your opinions, nor the harsh inflammatory tone in which they are presented. But, at the same time, I know very well that even those aspects of your activity with which I cannot sympathise at all, have a sympathetic basis, i.e. an undoubted sincerity, a passionate love for art, selfless devotion to those chosen ones who, in your opinion, are destined to elevate Russian art. If you are mistaken, then, of course this is ''de bone fide''. Everything that you say and write is what you think. You are an absolutely straightforward person and writer, and for the sake of this quality, which is as wonderful as it is rare, I am partially reconciled to you as a critic. As regards your kindness, your constant readiness, despite your many activities, to devote your time to those who, like me, have appealed and do appeal to your erudition, your knowledge and experience — then these qualities touch me deeply, and that is why, no matter what, I shall always love you as a person. It is all the more sad to realise that a bottomless abyss lies between us that neither of us shall ever cross. What for me have been, and will be until my last breath, the apex of artistic revelations, you call rubbish. Where I find nothing besides ignorance, ugliness and a parody of art — you see pearls of aesthetic beauty. Where I see light, benefit and immeasurable merit — there you see the infliction of harm, darkness and even ''crimes''.

	I shall not attempt to shake your extremely unjust opinion about [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]]. Inveterate prejudices cannot be shaken. But I will tell you that none of your accusations against [[Nikolay Grigoryevich]] have the slightest shadow of validity. I was at his conservatory for twelve years, and it is most strange to me that his influence serves to corrupt youths, when I know every single student who completed their education there, and I cannot point to a single one amongst them who would confirm your opinion, based on those anonymous accusers who operate in the "New Time". I should also like to know where the ''talents'' are whom he has oppressed? Even his little sympathy for the New School, which you call a crime, did not prevent him from promoting and, to the best of his ability, supporting those of its representatives whose talent nobody can doubt. Was it not he who stood up for [[Balakirev]] when the most venerable persecution was launched against him? Is he not the only pianist who has played many times in public the excellent, but most ungrateful of all piano pieces — "''Islamey''"? Is a lack of enthusiasm for the works of Messrs Shcherbachev, Ladyzhensky, etc. really ''persecution and oppression''? Are not the works of [[Balakirev]], [[Korsakov]] and [[Cui]] played in [[Moscow]] every year?		I shall not attempt to shake your extremely unjust opinion about [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]]. Inveterate prejudices cannot be shaken. But I will tell you that none of your accusations against [[Nikolay Grigoryevich]] have the slightest shadow of validity. I was at his conservatory for twelve years, and it is most strange to me that his influence serves to corrupt youths, when I know every single student who completed their education there, and I cannot point to a single one amongst them who would confirm your opinion, based on those anonymous accusers who operate in the "New Time". I should also like to know where the ''talents'' are whom he has oppressed? Even his little sympathy for the New School, which you call a crime, did not prevent him from promoting and, to the best of his ability, supporting those of its representatives whose talent nobody can doubt. Was it not he who stood up for [[Balakirev]] when the most venerable persecution was launched against him? Is he not the only pianist who has played many times in public the excellent, but most ungrateful of all piano pieces — "''Islamey''"? Is a lack of enthusiasm for the works of Messrs Shcherbachev, Ladyzhensky, etc. really ''persecution and oppression''? Are not the works of [[Balakirev]], [[Korsakov]] and [[Cui]] played in [[Moscow]] every year?

Brett: Text replacement - "any event" to "any case"

2024-02-29T09:24:45Z

Text replacement - "any event" to "any case"

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:24, 29 February 2024
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	It is not possible to respond in print to any gossip, as you suggest, and moreover, experience tells that entering into a battle in print with journalistic accusers merely adds coal to their fires.		It is not possible to respond in print to any gossip, as you suggest, and moreover, experience tells that entering into a battle in print with journalistic accusers merely adds coal to their fires.

	Thank you once again, [[Vladimir Vasilyevich]], for your warm, sympathetic words. Thank you also for your readiness to respond to my requests for help from you in the future. It is very likely that I will take advantage of this dispensation. In any ~~event~~, I shall always remain your sincerely respectful		Thank you once again, [[Vladimir Vasilyevich]], for your warm, sympathetic words. Thank you also for your readiness to respond to my requests for help from you in the future. It is very likely that I will take advantage of this dispensation. In any case, I shall always remain your sincerely respectful
	{{right\|P. Tchaikovsky}}		{{right\|P. Tchaikovsky}}
	If the occasion arises, be so kind as to convey my friendly greetings to [[Korsakov]]. This is one of the few points on which you and I agree. I love his talent as much as I love his whole honest and sympathetic personality.		If the occasion arises, be so kind as to convey my friendly greetings to [[Korsakov]]. This is one of the few points on which you and I agree. I love his talent as much as I love his whole honest and sympathetic personality.
	{{right\|Yours P. T.}}		{{right\|Yours P. T.}}
	}}		}}

Brett at 20:12, 18 February 2024

2024-02-18T20:12:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:12, 18 February 2024
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	\|Translated text={{right\|{{datestyle\|''[[Clarens]]''\|29 January\|20 February\|1879}}}}		\|Translated text={{right\|{{datestyle\|''[[Clarens]]''\|29 January\|20 February\|1879}}}}
	I have received your letter, most respected [[~~Vladimr~~ Vasilyevich]]! Your sympathetic words regarding me are very welcome, and I thank you for them for all my heart. You are not mistaken in presuming that I am sympathetic to you. I am far from being an admirer of your articles on music. I do not like the essence of your opinions, nor the harsh inflammatory tone in which they are presented. But, at the same time, I know very well that even those aspects of your activity with which I cannot sympathise at all, have a sympathetic basis, i.e. an undoubted sincerity, a passionate love for art, selfless devotion those chosen ones, who, in your opinion, are destined to elevate Russian art. If you are mistaken, then, of course this is ''de bone fide''. Everything that you say and write is what you think. You are an absolutely straightforward person and writer, and for the sake of this quality, which is as wonderful as it is rare, I am partially reconciled to you as a critic. As regards your kindness, your constant readiness, despite your many activities, to devote your time to those who, like me, have appealed and do appeal to your erudition, your knowledge and experience — then these qualities touch me deeply, and that is why, no matter what, I shall always love you as a person. It is all the more sad to realise that a bottomless abyss lies between us, that neither of us shall ever cross. What for me have been, and will be until my last breath, the apex of artistic revelations, you call rubbish. Where I find nothing besides ignorance, ugliness and a parody of art — you see pearls of aesthetic beauty. Where I see light, benefit and immeasurable merit — there you see the infliction of harm, darkness, and even ''crimes''.		I have received your letter, most respected [[Vladimir Vasilyevich]]! Your sympathetic words regarding me are very welcome, and I thank you for them for all my heart. You are not mistaken in presuming that I am sympathetic to you. I am far from being an admirer of your articles on music. I do not like the essence of your opinions, nor the harsh inflammatory tone in which they are presented. But, at the same time, I know very well that even those aspects of your activity with which I cannot sympathise at all, have a sympathetic basis, i.e. an undoubted sincerity, a passionate love for art, selfless devotion those chosen ones, who, in your opinion, are destined to elevate Russian art. If you are mistaken, then, of course this is ''de bone fide''. Everything that you say and write is what you think. You are an absolutely straightforward person and writer, and for the sake of this quality, which is as wonderful as it is rare, I am partially reconciled to you as a critic. As regards your kindness, your constant readiness, despite your many activities, to devote your time to those who, like me, have appealed and do appeal to your erudition, your knowledge and experience — then these qualities touch me deeply, and that is why, no matter what, I shall always love you as a person. It is all the more sad to realise that a bottomless abyss lies between us, that neither of us shall ever cross. What for me have been, and will be until my last breath, the apex of artistic revelations, you call rubbish. Where I find nothing besides ignorance, ugliness and a parody of art — you see pearls of aesthetic beauty. Where I see light, benefit and immeasurable merit — there you see the infliction of harm, darkness, and even ''crimes''.

	I shall not attempt to shake your extremely unjust opinion about [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]]. Inveterate prejudices cannot be shaken. But I will tell you that none of your accusations against [[Nikolay Grigoryevich]] have the slightest shadow of validity. I was at his conservatory for twelve years, and it is most strange to me that his influence serves to corrupt youths, when I know every single student who completed their education there, and I cannot point to a single one amongst them who would confirm your opinion, based on those anonymous accusers who operate in the "New Time". I should also like to know where the ''talents'' are whom he has oppressed? Even his little sympathy for the New School, which you call a crime, did not prevent him from promoting and, to the best of his ability, supporting those of its representatives whose talent nobody can doubt. Was it not he who stood up for [[Balakirev]] when the most venerable persecution was launched against him? Is he not the only pianist who has played many times in public the excellent, but most ungrateful of all piano pieces — "''Islamey''"? Is a lack of enthusiasm for the works of Messrs Shcherbachev, Ladyzhensky, etc. really ''persecution and oppression''? Are not the works of [[Balakirev]], [[Korsakov]] and [[Cui]] played in [[Moscow]] every year?		I shall not attempt to shake your extremely unjust opinion about [[Nikolay Rubinstein\|Rubinstein]]. Inveterate prejudices cannot be shaken. But I will tell you that none of your accusations against [[Nikolay Grigoryevich]] have the slightest shadow of validity. I was at his conservatory for twelve years, and it is most strange to me that his influence serves to corrupt youths, when I know every single student who completed their education there, and I cannot point to a single one amongst them who would confirm your opinion, based on those anonymous accusers who operate in the "New Time". I should also like to know where the ''talents'' are whom he has oppressed? Even his little sympathy for the New School, which you call a crime, did not prevent him from promoting and, to the best of his ability, supporting those of its representatives whose talent nobody can doubt. Was it not he who stood up for [[Balakirev]] when the most venerable persecution was launched against him? Is he not the only pianist who has played many times in public the excellent, but most ungrateful of all piano pieces — "''Islamey''"? Is a lack of enthusiasm for the works of Messrs Shcherbachev, Ladyzhensky, etc. really ''persecution and oppression''? Are not the works of [[Balakirev]], [[Korsakov]] and [[Cui]] played in [[Moscow]] every year?

Brett at 20:59, 10 February 2024

2024-02-10T20:59:01Z

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Brett: 1 revision imported

2022-07-12T12:23:26Z

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← Older revision	Revision as of 13:23, 12 July 2022
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Brett at 11:04, 10 March 2020

2020-03-10T11:04:01Z

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{{letterhead
|Date=29 January/10 February 1879
|To=[[Vladimir Stasov]]
|Place=[[Clarens]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Saint Petersburg]] (Russia): {{RUS-SPsc}} (ф. 738, No. 343, л. 36–39)
|Publication={{bibx|1909/10|Русская мысль}} (1909), No. 3, p. 134–137<br/>{{bib|1963/6|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VIII}} (1963), p. 77–79
}}
==Text==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=
|Original text={{right|{{datestyle|''Clarens''|29 янв[аря]|20 февр[аля]|1879}}}}
Получил Ваше письмо, многоуважаемый Владимир Васильевич! Сочувственные слова Ваши, относящиеся ко мне, мне очень приятны, и я от всей души благодарю Вас за них. Вы не ошибаетесь, предполагая во мне симпатию к Вам. Я далеко не поклонник статей Ваших по поводу музыки. Мне не нравится ни сущность Ваших мнений, ни тот резкий, запальчивый тон, в котором они излагаются. Но, вместе с тем, я отлично знаю, что даже и те стороны Вашей деятельности, которым я никоим образом не могу сочувствовать, имеют симпатичную подкладку, т. е. несомненную искренность, страстную любовь к искусству, беззаветную преданность тем избранникам, которым, по Вашему взгляду, суждено высоко поставить русское искусство. Если Вы ошибаетесь, то, конечно, ''de bona fide''. Всё, что Вы говорите и пишете, — Вы думаете. Вы абсолютно прямодушный человек и писатель, и ради этого, столь же чудного, сколько и редкого качества, я отчасти мирюсь с Вами как критиком. Что касается Вашей доброты, Вашей всегдашней готовности, несмотря на множество занятий, уделять своё время тем, которые, подобно мне, обращались и обращаются к Вашей начитанности, Вашим знаниям и опытности, — то эти качества меня глубоко трогают, и вот почему, несмотря ни на что, я всегда буду любить Вас как человека. Тем грустнее сознавать, что между Вами и мной лежит бездонная пропасть, которую ни один из нас никогда не перешагнёт. То, что для меня были и до последнего издыхания будут высшими художественными откровениями, то Вы называете дребеденью. Где я не нахожу ничего, кроме невежества, безобразия и пародии на искусство, — там Вы усматриваете перлы эстетической красоты. Где я вижу свет, пользу и неизмеримые заслуги, — там Вам представляются вред, мрак и даже ''преступления''.

Я не буду стараться поколебать Ваше в высшей степени несправедливое мнение о Рубинштейне. Закоренелых предубеждений поколебать нельзя. Но я Вам скажу, что ни одно из Ваших обвинений Н[иколая] Г[ригорьевича], не имеет ни малейшей тени основательности. Я двенадцать лет был в его консерватории, и мне очень странно слышать, что влияние его на молодёжь действует развращающим образом, когда мне известны все до одного ученики, окончившие там своё воспитание, и среди их я не могу указать ни на единого, который бы подтверждал Ваше мнение, основанное на тех анонимных обличителях, которые действуют в «Нов[ом] вр[емени]». Я бы желал также знать, где те ''таланты'', которых он угнетал? Даже и его малое сочувствие к новой школе, которое Вы называете преступлением, не мешало ему содействовать и по мере сил поддерживать тех из представителей её, в таланте которых никто не может сомневаться. Не он ли стоял за Балакирева, когда на него было воздвигнуто августейшее гонение? Не он ли единственный пианист, много раз публично игравший превосходную, но самую неблагодарную из всех фортеп[ианных] пиэс — «''Исламея''»? Неужели отсутствие восторга к произведениям гг. Щербачёва, Ладыженского и т. п. есть ''гонение и угнетение''? Разве не играются в Москве ежегодно сочинения Балакирева, Корсакова и Кюи?

Я склонен думать, Владимир Васильевич, что, в сущности, все преступления Н[иколая] Г[ригорьевича] сводятся к злополучным парижским концертам. Я допускаю, что Вы можете сожалеть и сетовать, что в программы парижских концертов не вошли отрывки из опер Мусоргского; я вместе с Вами готов досадовать, что, напр[имер], ни одна из чудесных увертюр Балакирева не была исполнена. Но тут нет ни преднамеренного ехидства, ни нарочитого пренебрежения, ни гонения, ни угнетения. Руб[инштейн] старался, как мне кажется, показать в Париже то, что, по его мнению, могло иметь больше шансов рекомендовать с хорошей стороны нашу музыку. В своём выборе он мог ошибаться, — но без злого умысла. Если его особенное пристрастие ко мне и играло тут некоторую роль, то это потому, что он в самом деле имеет обо мне, может быть ложное, но очень высокое понятие. Представьте себе, Владимир Васильевич, что Вы были бы делегатом и что Вы составляли бы программу! Ведь нет никакого сомнения, что лишь скромная доля досталась бы большинству авторов, не принадлежащих к числу любимых Вами. Я даже сильно склонен думать, что Вы были бы гораздо исключительнее с своей точки зрения, чем был Рубинштейн с своей, ибо мне известно, что .он в своих музыкальных суждениях гораздо терпимее и снисходительнее Вас. Но довольно пытаться оправдать его в Ваших глазах. Знаю, что это ни к чему не послужит.

Если мне хотелось, чтобы Вы вступились за Н[иколая] Г[ригоревича], то это не потому, что я боюсь за него, Его репутацию честного человека, честного артиста не поколеблют фельетоны «Нового времени». Дела его налицо. Но человек этот, имеющий при всех своих достоинствах и некоторые значительные недостатки, имеет несчастную слабость оскорбляться и обижаться газетными отзывами. Результатом всех распускаемых сплетней и клевет может быть то, что он бросит своё дело. Если судить с точки зрения его карьеры, то от этого он только может выиграть, так же как выиграл его брат, оставивши консерваторию. Но мне до слез, до отчаянья жалко дела, которое погибнет. Вы не знаете, что такое Москва! Там нужно действовать ''à la Пётр Великий'', т. е. насильно навязывать, свет погруженному во мрак обществу. Никто и никогда не может заменить Рубинштейна в его искусстве бороться против невежества и мракобесия.

Вы ошибаетесь Влад[имир] Васильевич, если думаете, что я завзятый и безусловный поклонник Рубинштейна, ослеплённый до того, что не вижу ''le revers de la médaille''. Очень многое в нем нередко возмущало и раздражало меня. Но что значат все его недостатки в сравнении с невыразимо благотворной деятельностью его! Некоторая доля ''самодурства'', проявляющегося в том, что нередко без всякой надобности он мечет громы и молнии, которые, впрочем, никого не пугают, ибо в сущности он очень добр, не может мешать и парализировать пользу, при носимую его деятельностью Особенно теперь, смотря на него и на всё творящееся в нашем музыкальном мире со стороны, и, так сказать, объективно, я проникаюсь удивлением к его качествам и охотно прощаю ему его слабости, которые в Вашей характеристике его являются с ужасающим преувеличением.

Отвечать печатно на всякую сплетню, как Вы предлагаете, нет возможности, и притом по опыту известно, что вступая в печатную борьбу с фельетонными обличителями, только прибавляешь угольев к их задору.

Благодарю Вас ещё раз, Владимир Васильевич, за тёплые, сочувственные слова Ваши. Благодарю также за готовность в будущем отзываться на мои просьбы о помощи к Вам. Весьма вероятно, что я злоупотреблю этим дозволением. Во всяком случае останусь всегда искренно уважающим Вас.
{{right|П. Чайковский}}
Потрудитесь при случае передать от меня дружеское приветствие Корсакову. Это одна из немногочисленных точек, на которых мы с Вами сходимся. Я столько же люблю его дарование, сколько и его цельную, честную и симпатичную личность.
{{right|Ваш П. Ч.}}

|Translated text=
}}