Letter 1954 - Revision history

Tony at 11:19, 9 December 2024

2024-12-09T11:19:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:19, 9 December 2024
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	However, I'm still in need of money, and I want to ask you the following. I've sent you the [[Trio]], I will shortly be sending you the [[All-Night Vigil\|Vespers]], and then I must deprive you of more than a little for the [[Bortnyansky]]. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, I owe you a fair amount. But part of my debt is probably covered by the performance fees. I'll still be receiving something for the unfortunate "[[The Maid of Orleans\|Maid of Orleans]]"! Take all this into account, my dear chap, and try to send me as much as possible, but in any case, I should like to receive at least the 600 rubles that you, you scoundrel, are depriving me of. I'm somewhat ashamed, but tell me which is better: 1) to borrow a large sum from you now, with my future compositions as security, which I shall write at the prompting of my muse, or 2) having grumbled about your interdict, to pile up not 6, but a whole, let's say, 12 piano pieces, or even 24, and then say: take them and pay me for them, even though they were written by me in a rather workmanlike manner, merely to obtain money? It seems to me that the former is preferable. But this raises a new question. Is it fair of me to be pestering you for money ''now'', when you are buying a house and in great need?		However, I'm still in need of money, and I want to ask you the following. I've sent you the [[Trio]], I will shortly be sending you the [[All-Night Vigil\|Vespers]], and then I must deprive you of more than a little for the [[Bortnyansky]]. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, I owe you a fair amount. But part of my debt is probably covered by the performance fees. I'll still be receiving something for the unfortunate "[[The Maid of Orleans\|Maid of Orleans]]"! Take all this into account, my dear chap, and try to send me as much as possible, but in any case, I should like to receive at least the 600 rubles that you, you scoundrel, are depriving me of. I'm somewhat ashamed, but tell me which is better: 1) to borrow a large sum from you now, with my future compositions as security, which I shall write at the prompting of my muse, or 2) having grumbled about your interdict, to pile up not 6, but a whole, let's say, 12 piano pieces, or even 24, and then say: take them and pay me for them, even though they were written by me in a rather workmanlike manner, merely to obtain money? It seems to me that the former is preferable. But this raises a new question. Is it fair of me to be pestering you for money ''now'', when you are buying a house and in great need?

	I have reached an impasse and find myself at a loss. Anyway, you will have time to think about all this, because next week I'm going to [[Naples]], and I ask you not to send any ''lettres chargée'' or ''recomandées'' until I send you the exact address from there. I don't remember whether I wrote to you that I was intending to go with my brother and his pupil to the latter's aunt in ''Algeria''. This plan fell through, because [[Modest]]'s pupil's father forbade the journey. Meanwhile life in [[Rome]] has become completely unaffordable, due to the high costs, and we've decided to move to [[Naples]], where we want to settle ourselves as frugally as possible. I'm going ahead to look for lodgings, and only then will I summon my brother. For ordinary letters, I ask you to address them ''Poste restante''. I'm thinking of living in [[Naples]] until early April, then going by sea to [[Odessa]] and [[Kamenka]], and thence to [[Moscow]]. Anyway, this is all still uncertain: I don't know whether [[Tolya]] will want me for the wedding? I might have to go to the fatherland sooner.		I have reached an impasse and find myself at a loss. Anyway, you will have time to think about all this, because next week I'm going to [[Naples]], and I ask you not to send any ''lettres chargée'' or ''recomandées'' until I send you the exact address from there. I don't remember whether I wrote to you that I was intending to go with my brother and his pupil to the latter's aunt in ''Algeria''. This plan fell through, because [[Modest]]'s pupil's father forbade the journey. Meanwhile, life in [[Rome]] has become completely unaffordable, due to the high costs, and we've decided to move to [[Naples]], where we want to settle ourselves as frugally as possible. I'm going ahead to look for lodgings, and only then will I summon my brother. For ordinary letters, I ask you to address them ''Poste restante''. I'm thinking of living in [[Naples]] until early April, then going by sea to [[Odessa]] and [[Kamenka]], and thence to [[Moscow]]. Anyway, this is all still uncertain: I don't know whether [[Tolya]] will want me for the wedding? I might have to go to the fatherland sooner.

	Congratulations to you on buying a house; I'm glad about this, but horrified at the amounts you'll need to pay. I'm awfully fond of your former archive with its phenomenally thick walls, and its pictureseque situation and character! When I come to [[Moscow]] I'll have to thoroughly splash out myself!		Congratulations to you on buying a house; I'm glad about this, but horrified at the amounts you'll need to pay. I'm awfully fond of your former archive with its phenomenally thick walls, and its pictureseque situation and character! When I come to [[Moscow]], I'll have to thoroughly splash out myself!

	Until we meet, my dear proprietor! Sorry to have to pester you about money yet again.		Until we meet, my dear proprietor! Sorry to have to pester you about money yet again.

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2022-07-12T12:25:44Z

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Brett: Text replacement - "by God" to "my God"

2021-10-30T20:40:06Z

Text replacement - "by God" to "my God"

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{{letterhead
|Date=1/13 February 1882
|To=[[Pyotr Jurgenson]]
|Place=[[Rome]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}} (a{{sup|3}}, No. 2369)
|Publication={{bib|1901/24|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 2}} (1901), p. 517–518 (abridged)<br/>{{bib|1938/40|П. И. Чайковский. Переписка с П. И. Юргенсоном ; том 1}} (1938), p. 233–235<br/>{{bib|1966/43|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том XI}} (1966), p. 50–51
}}
==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{right|''Рим''<br/>1/13 февр[аля] 1882}}
Только что отправил тебе вчера утром письмо, как получил твоё. Я исполню твоё запрещение и напишу Бернару учтивый отказ, — ибо нахожу, что ты с своей точки зрения совершенно прав и твои доводы очень основательны. И тем не менее мне это немного досадно. Трудно как-то объяснить почему, — но мне бы легко и приятно было исполнить заказ Бернара, т. е. именно для «Нувеллиста» написать 6 дрянных пиэс и получить за это 1500 франков, кои мне куда как теперь кстати. Для тебя же писать именно 6 пиэс, которых ты не просишь и в коих не нуждаешься, я не хочу и не буду по той простой причине, что совершенно не расположен в настоящую минуту писать для ф[орте]п[иано], а тебе я привык отдавать то, что пишу по собственному, внутреннему побуждению.

Однако деньги мне всё-таки нужны, и я тебя хочу просить следующее. Я послал тебе трио, в скором времени вышлю Всенощную, затем должен не мало содрать с тебя за Бортнянского. Это с одной стороны. С другой же стороны, я тебе порядочно должен. Но часть моего долга, вероятно, покрыта поспектакльной платой. Хоть сколько-нибудь да получу же я за несчастную «Орлеанскую деву»! Сообрази все это, душа моя, и постарайся прислать мне как можно больше, но, во всяком случае, я бы хотел получить хоть те 600 р[ублей], которых ты меня, злодей, лишаешь. Мне немножко стыдно, но скажи, что лучше: 1) занять у тебя теперь крупную сумму под залог будущих сочинений, которые напишу по побуждению своей музы, или 2) придравшись к твоему запрещению, навалять не 6, а целых, положим, 12 форт[епианных] пиэс или даже ''24'', и сказать: бери их и давай мне за них плату, хотя они написаны мной кое-как, ремесленным образом, лишь бы деньги получить? Мне кажется, что первое лучше. Но тут является новый вопрос. Хорошо ли мне приставать с деньгами к себе ''теперь'', когда по случаю покупки дома ты так в них нуждаешься?

Становлюсь в тупик и теряюсь. Впрочем, ты успеешь обдумать все это, ибо на будущей неделе я еду в Неаполь и попрошу тебя не посылать никаких ''lettres chargée'' или ''recomandées'' до тех пор, пока не пришлю тебе оттуда точного адреса. Не помню писал ли я тебе, что собирался с братом и его воспитанником в ''Алжир'' к тётке последнего. План этот рушился, ибо отец Модестиного воспитанника запретил эту поездку. Между тем в Риме жизнь становится, ввиду дороговизны, совершенно не по карману, и мы решились переехать в Неаполь, — где хотим основаться как можно скромнее. Я поеду вперёд и при ищу помещение, а уже потом вызову брата. Простые письма попрошу тебя адресовать ''Poste restante''. Думаю прожить в Неаполе до начала апреля, потом морем в Одессу, Каменку и оттуда съезжу в Москву. Впрочем, все это ещё не известно: не знаю потребует ли Толя меня к свадьбе? Может быть и раньше придётся ехать в отечество.

Поздравляю тебя с покупкой дома, радуюсь ей, — но ужасаюсь размерам сумм, которые тебе придётся уплатить. Я ужасно люблю твой отставной архив с его феноменально толстыми стенами, с его живописным положением и характерностью! Когда приеду в Москву, нужно будет хорошенько спрыснуть покупочку!

До свиданья, милый мой собственник! Извини, что опять приходится приставать к тебе с деньгами.

У меня ли не было твёрдой решимости не выходить из бюджета! И, ей Богу, я сделал все что мог, — но судьба всегда устраивает так, что мне приходится к кому-нибудь приставать! Прости!
{{right|Твой, П. Чайковский}}
Р. S. Флеров здесь, но пока я ещё его не видел. Боюсь его смертельно.

|Translated text={{right|''[[Rome]]''<br/>1/13 February 1882}}
I had only just sent you a letter yesterday morning when I received yours. I shall comply with your interdict and write [[Bernard]] a courteous refusal — because I consider that from your point of view you were completely within your rights, and your arguments are very sound. Nevertheless, I think it's rather a shame. It's a little difficult to explain why, but it would be easy and pleasant for me to fulfil [[Bernard]]'s commission, i.e. to write 6 pieces of rubbish for "Nuvellist" and receive 1500 francs for them, which I'm in need of now by the way. I don't want to write 6 such pieces for you, which you haven't asked for and don't need, for the simple reason that at the present moment I'm absolutely not in the mood to write for the piano, and I'm accustomed to giving you what I write from my own, inner compulsion.

However, I'm still in need of money, and I want to ask you the following. I've sent you the [[Trio]], I will shortly be sending you the [[All-Night Vigil|Vespers]], and then I must deprive you of more than a little for the [[Bortnyansky]]. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, I owe you a fair amount. But part of my debt is probably covered by the performance fees. I'll still be receiving something for the unfortunate "[[The Maid of Orleans|Maid of Orleans]]"! Take all this into account, my dear chap, and try to send me as much as possible, but in any case, I should like to receive at least the 600 rubles that you, you scoundrel, are depriving me of. I'm somewhat ashamed, but tell me which is better: 1) to borrow a large sum from you now, with my future compositions as security, which I shall write at the prompting of my muse, or 2) having grumbled about your interdict, to pile up not 6, but a whole, let's say, 12 piano pieces, or even 24, and then say: take them and pay me for them, even though they were written by me in a rather workmanlike manner, merely to obtain money? It seems to me that the former is preferable. But this raises a new question. Is it fair of me to be pestering you for money ''now'', when you are buying a house and in great need?

I have reached an impasse and find myself at a loss. Anyway, you will have time to think about all this, because next week I'm going to [[Naples]], and I ask you not to send any ''lettres chargée'' or ''recomandées'' until I send you the exact address from there. I don't remember whether I wrote to you that I was intending to go with my brother and his pupil to the latter's aunt in ''Algeria''. This plan fell through, because [[Modest]]'s pupil's father forbade the journey. Meanwhile life in [[Rome]] has become completely unaffordable, due to the high costs, and we've decided to move to [[Naples]], where we want to settle ourselves as frugally as possible. I'm going ahead to look for lodgings, and only then will I summon my brother. For ordinary letters, I ask you to address them ''Poste restante''. I'm thinking of living in [[Naples]] until early April, then going by sea to [[Odessa]] and [[Kamenka]], and thence to [[Moscow]]. Anyway, this is all still uncertain: I don't know whether [[Tolya]] will want me for the wedding? I might have to go to the fatherland sooner.

Congratulations to you on buying a house; I'm glad about this, but horrified at the amounts you'll need to pay. I'm awfully fond of your former archive with its phenomenally thick walls, and its pictureseque situation and character! When I come to [[Moscow]] I'll have to thoroughly splash out myself!

Until we meet, my dear proprietor! Sorry to have to pester you about money yet again.

Didn't I firmly resolve not to exceed my budget! And, my God, I did everything I could — but things always work out so that I have to pester someone! Sorry!
{{right|Yours, P. Tchaikovsky}}
P. S. [[Flerov]] is here, but I haven't seen him yet. I'm frightened to death of him.
}}