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{{letterhead
|Date=20 February/4 March 1885
|To=[[Emiliya Pavlovskaya]]
|Place=[[Maydanovo]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Moscow]] (Russia): {{RUS-Mt}} (Pavlovskaya collection)
|Publication={{bib|1902/25|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 3}} (1902), p. 26–27 (abridged) {{bibx|1934/37|Советская музыка}} (1934), No. 8, p. 63–64 {{bibx|1940/226|Чайковский на Московской сцене}} (1940), p. 322–323 {{bib|1971/89|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том XIII}} (1971), p. 38–39
}}

==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Original text={{right|20 февр[аля] 1885 Моск[освская] Губ[ерния], Клин оттуда в село Майданово}}
{{centre|Голубушка Эмилия Карловна!}}
Я соскучился по Вас. Что Вы и где Вы? Я поселился в деревне и хотя попал в дом мне несимпатичный и устроился покамест плохо, в одной только комнатке, — но всё же я рад чувствовать себя одиноким, свободным, покойным. Здоровье моё было совсем расклеилось. На масленице у меня начались какие-то невероятные, совершенно особенные головные боли невралгического свойства. Для рассеяния я поехал в Петербург, но там стало ещё хуже до того, что я не в состоянии был ни читать, ни заниматься, ни говорить. Так как я чувствовал, что всё это проклятые мои расстроенные нервы и что нужно спокойствие, чтобы всё это прошло, то и поспешил в деревню. Не могу изобразить, до чего обаятельны для меня русская деревня, русский пейзаж и эта тишина, в коей я всего более нуждался. Тотчас же мне стало лучше, и теперь головная боль появляется, только когда я несколько пересижу за работой. А работаю я с усердием и любовью. Мой ''«Кузнец Вакула»'', поверьте, будет весьма изрядной оперой. Я постоянно воображаю Вас в образе Оксаны, так что Вы разделяете со мной моё одиночество, и не подозревая этого. Написал совершенно новые сцены; всё, что было худого, выбросил, что хорошо — оставил, облегчил массивность и тяжеловесность гармоний, — одним словом, сделал всё, что нужно, дабы извлечь оперу из забвенья, коего, право, она не заслуживала. На днях принимаюсь за инструментовку всего вновь написанного. К Пасхе надеюсь всё кончить, а весной примусь за новую оперу и опять, следовательно, буду проводить всё моё время с ''«благодетельницей»''! Напишите, голубушка, словечка два о том, как Вы здоровы и как отдыхаете от сезона. ''Сергею Евграфовичу'' усердный поклон. Быв в Петербурге, ежедневно к Вам сбирался, — но решительно был неспособен посещать кого бы то ни было, даже Вас. Целую ручку.
{{right|Ваш, П. Чайковский}}
Сергею Евграфовичу дружеский поклон.

|Translated text={{right|20 February 1885 [[Moscow]] Province, [[Klin]] thence to [[Maydanovo]] Village}}
{{centre|Darling [[Emiliya Karlovna]]!}}
I have been missing you. What are you doing and where are you? I have taken up residence in the country, and although I have ended up in a house which I find disagreeable and have not settled in very well so far (in just one small room), still I am glad to feel alone, free, and calm <ref name="note1"/>. My health has completely gone to pieces. During Shrovetide I started having some incredible, quite peculiar headaches of a neuralgic kind. Seeking to take my mind off this, I went to [[Petersburg]], but there these headaches got so bad that I was unable to read or work or talk. Since I sensed that this was all due to my accursed upset nerves, and that I needed to find tranquillity if I wanted it to go away, I rushed to the country. I cannot convey to you how enchanting I find the Russian countryside, Russian landscapes, and that stillness which I had been in need of more than anything else. I immediately started to feel better, and now I only get headaches when I sit too long over my work. You see, I am working assiduously and with enthusiasm. My ''[[Vakula the Smith]]'', believe me, will become a most handsome opera <ref name="note2"/>. I am constantly imagining you in the role of Oksana, which means that, without suspecting it, you are keeping me company in my solitude. I have written completely new scenes; everything that was bad I have discarded, everything that was good I have retained, simplifying unwieldy and overbearing harmonies—in a word I have done everything required to rescue the opera from the oblivion that it certainly did not deserve. Any day now I will set about the orchestration of everything that has been written afresh. By Easter I hope to finish everything, then in the spring I shall embark on my new opera <ref name="note3"/>, and, consequently, I will again be able to spend all my time with my ''"benefactress"''!<ref name="note4"/>
Write me a word or two, my dear, to tell me that you are well and to let me know how you are resting after the travails of the [opera] season. Give my zealous regards to ''Sergey Yevgrafovich'' <ref name="note5"/>. When I was in [[Petersburg]] I was planning every day to come and see you, but I was simply too indisposed to be able to visit anyone, even you. I kiss your hand.
{{right|Yours, P. Tchaikovsky}}
Give my friendly compliments to Sergey Yevgrafovich.
}}

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">Tchaikovsky moved into his new house at [[Maydanovo]], near [[Klin]], on 14/26 February 1885.</ref>
<ref name="note2">During his stay abroad in November 1884 Tchaikovsky had begun thinking about the revisions he would make to ''[[Vakula the Smith]]'', which he considered to be one of his best and unjustly forgotten operas. However, he was not able to start work on these revisions until he settled at [[Maydanovo]] in February 1885. The revised opera was to be entitled ''[[Cherevichki]]''.</ref>
<ref name="note3">Tchaikovsky did not in fact start working on ''[[The Enchantress]]'' in the spring of 1885, but in September that year.</ref>
<ref name="note4">In his letters to [[Emiliya Pavlovskaya]] Tchaikovsky frequently called her his "benefactress", because he felt indebted to her for her enthusiastic attitude towards ''[[Mazepa]]'', in which she had created the role of Mariya at the opera's premiere.</ref>
<ref name="note5">[[Emiliya Pavlovskaya]]'s husband, Sergey Yevgrafovich Pavlovsky (1846–1915), was also a singer and a member of the [[Saint Petersburg]] Mariinsky Theatre's troupe.</ref>
</references>

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:57, 16 January 2025
Line 20:		Line 20:
	\|Translated text={{right\|20 February 1885<br/>[[Moscow]] Province, [[Klin]]<br/>thence to [[Maydanovo]] Village}}		\|Translated text={{right\|20 February 1885<br/>[[Moscow]] Province, [[Klin]]<br/>thence to [[Maydanovo]] Village}}
	{{centre\|Darling [[Emiliya Karlovna]]!}}		{{centre\|Darling [[Emiliya Karlovna]]!}}
	I have been missing you. What are you doing and where are you? I have taken up residence in the country, and although I have ended up in a house which I find disagreeable and have not settled in very well so far (in just one small room), still I am glad to feel alone, free, and calm <ref name="note1"/>. My health has completely gone to pieces. During Shrovetide I started having some incredible, quite peculiar headaches of a neuralgic kind. Seeking to take my mind off this, I went to [[Petersburg]], but there these headaches got so bad that I was unable to read or work or talk. Since I sensed that this was all due to my accursed upset nerves, and that I needed to find tranquillity if I wanted it to go away, I rushed to the country. I cannot convey to you how enchanting I find the Russian countryside, Russian landscapes, and that stillness which I had been in need of more than anything else. I immediately started to feel better, and now I only get headaches when I sit too long over my work. You see, I am working assiduously and with enthusiasm. My ''[[Vakula the Smith]]'', believe me, will become a most handsome opera <ref name="note2"/>. I am constantly imagining you in the role of Oksana, which means that, without suspecting it, you are keeping me company in my solitude. I have written completely new scenes; everything that was bad I have discarded, everything that was good I have retained, simplifying unwieldy and overbearing ~~harmonies—in~~ a word I have done everything required to rescue the opera from the oblivion that it certainly did not deserve. Any day now I will set about the orchestration of everything that has been written afresh. By Easter I hope to finish everything, then in the spring I shall embark on my new opera <ref name="note3"/>, and, consequently, I will again be able to spend all my time with my ''"benefactress"''!<ref name="note4"/>		I have been missing you. What are you doing and where are you? I have taken up residence in the country, and although I have ended up in a house which I find disagreeable and have not settled in very well so far (in just one small room), still I am glad to feel alone, free and calm <ref name="note1"/>. My health has completely gone to pieces. During Shrovetide I started having some incredible, quite peculiar headaches of a neuralgic kind. Seeking to take my mind off this, I went to [[Petersburg]], but there these headaches got so bad that I was unable to read or work or talk. Since I sensed that this was all due to my accursed upset nerves, and that I needed to find tranquillity if I wanted it to go away, I rushed to the country. I cannot convey to you how enchanting I find the Russian countryside, Russian landscapes, and that stillness which I had been in need of more than anything else. I immediately started to feel better, and now I only get headaches when I sit too long over my work. You see, I am working assiduously and with enthusiasm. My ''[[Vakula the Smith]]'', believe me, will become a most handsome opera <ref name="note2"/>. I am constantly imagining you in the role of Oksana, which means that, without suspecting it, you are keeping me company in my solitude. I have written completely new scenes; everything that was bad I have discarded, everything that was good I have retained, simplifying unwieldy and overbearing harmonies — in a word, I have done everything required to rescue the opera from the oblivion that it certainly did not deserve. Any day now, I will set about the orchestration of everything that has been written afresh. By Easter I hope to finish everything, then in the spring I shall embark on my new opera <ref name="note3"/>, and, consequently, I will again be able to spend all my time with my ''"benefactress"''!<ref name="note4"/>
	Write me a word or two, my dear, to tell me that you are well and to let me know how you are resting after the travails of the [opera] season. Give my zealous regards to ''Sergey Yevgrafovich'' <ref name="note5"/>. When I was in [[Petersburg]] I was planning every day to come and see you, but I was simply too indisposed to be able to visit anyone, even you. I kiss your hand.		Write me a word or two, my dear, to tell me that you are well and to let me know how you are resting after the travails of the [opera] season. Give my zealous regards to ''Sergey Yevgrafovich'' <ref name="note5"/>. When I was in [[Petersburg]] I was planning every day to come and see you, but I was simply too indisposed to be able to visit anyone, even you. I kiss your hand.
	{{right\|Yours, P. Tchaikovsky}}		{{right\|Yours, P. Tchaikovsky}}
Line 29:		Line 29:
	<references>		<references>
	<ref name="note1">Tchaikovsky moved into his new house at [[Maydanovo]], near [[Klin]], on 14/26 February 1885.</ref>		<ref name="note1">Tchaikovsky moved into his new house at [[Maydanovo]], near [[Klin]], on 14/26 February 1885.</ref>
	<ref name="note2">During his stay abroad in November 1884 Tchaikovsky had begun thinking about the revisions he would make to ''[[Vakula the Smith]]'', which he considered to be one of his best and unjustly forgotten operas. However, he was not able to start work on these revisions until he settled at [[Maydanovo]] in February 1885. The revised opera was to be entitled ''[[Cherevichki]]''.</ref>		<ref name="note2">During his stay abroad in November 1884, Tchaikovsky had begun thinking about the revisions he would make to [[Vakula the Smith]], which he considered to be one of his best and unjustly forgotten operas. However, he was not able to start work on these revisions until he settled at [[Maydanovo]] in February 1885. The revised opera was to be entitled [[Cherevichki]].</ref>
	<ref name="note3">Tchaikovsky did not in fact start working on ''[[The Enchantress]]'' in the spring of 1885, but in September that year.</ref>		<ref name="note3">Tchaikovsky did not in fact start working on [[The Enchantress]] in the spring of 1885, but in September that year.</ref>
	<ref name="note4">In his letters to [[Emiliya Pavlovskaya]] Tchaikovsky frequently called her his "benefactress", because he felt indebted to her for her enthusiastic attitude towards ''[[Mazepa]]'', in which she had created the role of Mariya at the opera's premiere.</ref>		<ref name="note4">In his letters to [[Emiliya Pavlovskaya]] Tchaikovsky frequently called her his "benefactress", because he felt indebted to her for her enthusiastic attitude towards [[Mazepa]], in which she had created the role of Mariya at the opera's premiere.</ref>
	<ref name="note5">[[Emiliya Pavlovskaya]]'s husband, Sergey Yevgrafovich Pavlovsky (1846–1915), was also a singer and a member of the [[Saint Petersburg]] Mariinsky Theatre's troupe.</ref>		<ref name="note5">[[Emiliya Pavlovskaya]]'s husband, Sergey Yevgrafovich Pavlovsky (1846–1915), was also a singer and a member of the [[Saint Petersburg]] Mariinsky Theatre's troupe.</ref>
	</references>		</references>