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{{letterhead
|Date=9/21 August 1892
|To=[[Albert Gutmann]]
|Place=[[Klin]]
|Language=French
|Autograph=Saint Paul (Minnesota, USA): {{US-SPAsc}}
|Publication={{bib|2011/13|Tchaikovsky Research Bulletin No. 1}} (February 2011), p. 16-17 (with English translation, p. 17)<br/>{{bibx|2013/36|Чайковский. Новые материалы к творческой биографии}} (2013), p. 242-243 (with Russian translation, p. 243-245)
|Notes=
}}
<div align="center">''Click on a thumbnail below to enlarge''
<gallery align="center">
File:4749a p1.jpg|Page 1
File:4749a p2-3.jpg|Pages 2 and 3
File:4749a p4.jpg|Page 4
</gallery></div>

==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=French
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Original text={{right|''Klin, près 'Moscou''<br/>9/21 Août 1892}}
{{centre|Très respectés Messieurs!}}
Vous m'excuserez de Vous répondre en français. J'écris très mal l'allemand et comme je suis en ce moment à la campagne, je n'ai personne ici pour corriger mes fautes d'{{sic|ortographe|orthographe}}.

J'ai l'honneur de répondre à la proposition que Vous me faites l'honneur de faire, — que j'accepte avec plaisir l'invitation de venir à Vienne pour y conduire l'orchestre à un concert consacré à mes œuvres. Malheureusement je ne puis plus disposer de la fin du mois courant ayant promis de le passer à Kieff, {{sic|ou|où}} je suis attendu et où je pars demain. Je ne pourrai donc venir que vers le 20 Septembre. Demain en passant par Moscou je Vous enverrai une {{sic|dépèche|dépêche}} dans laquelle je Vous prierai de fixer tout de suite le jour du concert et des {{sic|répetitions|répétitions}}, car il faut que je sache aussi vite que possible les dâtes justes pour disposer de mon temps. Quant au programme voici ce que je propose:
:1) Suite Nº 3
:2) {{sic|Sérènade|Sérénade}} pour instruments à corde
:3) Suite du Ballet ''Der Nussknacker'' que je viens de composer.

Chacune de ces œuvres comporte 4 parties (vier Sätze) et je crois que c'est plus que suffisant. Si par hasard Vous teniez à ce que Mr ''Grünfeld'' ou ''Rosenthal'' exécutent mon concerto (Nº 1] en Si bémol mineur), certainement je n'aurai qu'à m'en réjouir et en {{sic|ètre|être}} on ne peut plus flatté. Alors ce concerto prendrait la place de la ''Sérénade'' pour Cordes. Si, par hasard aucun de ces grands artistes ne voulut m'honorer de leur concours, permettez moi de Vous recommander un grand, j'oserai dire, ''génial'' pianiste russe ''Wassil Sapellnikoff'' qui se trouve justement pas loin de Vienne et qui certes serait heureux de profiter de Votre invitation. (Son adresse est ''Schloss Itter'', Station Hopfgarten, Tyrol, bei ''Fr[au] Menter'').

Si Vous teniez à une ouverture ou ''Simphonische Dichtung'' au lieu de la ''Sérénade'', veuillez me le dire, cependant je {{sic|préferérai|préferérais}} que Vous acceptiez mon programme tel que je Vous le propose.

Veuillez adresser Vos lettres ou Vos {{sic|dépèches|dépêches}} ''per adresse'' à Mr P. I. ''Jurgenson'' à Moscou (c'est le frère de celui de Pétersbourg) qui sera toujours au courant de mes changements d'adresse. Je suis {{sic|prét|prêt}} à venir pour le 20 Septembre. À Vienne je descend toujours à l'Hotel ''Goldenes Lamm'' (Praterstrasse).

Veuillez agréer l'expression de mon profond respect.
{{right|P. Tschaïkovsky}}
|Translated text={{right|''[[Klin]] near [[Moscow]]''<br/>9/21 August 1892}}
{{centre|Most respected Sirs!}}
You must excuse me for replying to you in French. My written German is very poor, and as I am at present in the country I have no one here who could correct my spelling mistakes.

I am honoured to say, in response to the proposal which you do me the honour of putting to me, that I gladly accept the invitation to come to [[Vienna]] so as to conduct there a concert dedicated to my works <ref name="note2"/>. Unfortunately, I cannot dispose any longer of the last days of the current month, having already promised to spend them in [[Kiev]], where I am expected and where I shall be leaving for tomorrow <ref name="note3"/>. I can therefore only come to [[Vienna]] towards the 20th of September. Tomorrow, when I pass through [[Moscow]], I shall send you a telegram in which I shall ask you to fix immediately the date of the concert and the rehearsals, since it is essential that I know the exact dates as soon as possible so that I can dispose of my time accordingly. As for the programme, this is what I suggest:
:1) [[Suite No. 3]]
:2) [[Serenade for String Orchestra]]
:3) Suite from the ballet ''[[The Nutcracker (suite)|The Nutcracker]]'', which I have just composed.

Each one of these works comprises four sections (vier Sätze), and I think that this is more than sufficient. If by any chance you should wish that Mr ''Grünfeld'' <ref name="note4"/> or ''Rosenthal'' <ref name="note5"/> should perform my [[Piano Concerto No. 1|Concerto (No. 1)]] in B-flat major]], I would certainly be delighted by this and feel enormously flattered. In that case this concerto would take the place of the ''[[Serenade for String Orchestra|Serenade]]''. If by any chance neither of these great artists should wish to do me the honour of participating in my concert, allow me to recommend to you a great Russian pianist—indeed, I'd say a pianist of ''genius'' — ''[[Vasily Sapelnikov]]'', who is at present not far from [[Vienna]] and who would most certainly be glad to take up your invitation. (His address is: ''[[Itter]] Castle'', Hopfgarten Station, Tyrol, at ''[[Frau Menter]]'s''.

If you would like an overture or ''symphonic poem'' instead of the ''[[Serenade for String Orchestra|Serenade]]'', please let me know, although I would prefer you to accept my programme such as I have suggested it.

Would you address your letters or telegrams to [[Pyotr Jurgenson|Mr P. I. ''Jurgenson'']] in [[Moscow]] (he is the brother of the one in [[Petersburg]] <ref name="note6"/>, who will always be informed of my changes of address. I am prepared to come for the 20th of September. In [[Vienna]] I always stay at the ''Goldenes Lamm'' Hotel (Praterstrasse).

Please accept this assurance of my profound respect.
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky }}
}}

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note2">[[Albert Gutmann]], chairman of the committee organizing the International Exhibition for Music and Drama in [[Vienna]] that summer, had sent Tchaikovsky a telegram on 30 July/11 August 1892, asking him to come to [[Vienna]] to conduct a concert of his own works. Tchaikovsky was very keen to conquer the Viennese public and especially the critics there, many of whom had hitherto dismissed his music out of anti-Russian prejudice, and this was the main reason why he accepted this offer (see [[Letter 4754]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 14/26 August 1892). He arrived in [[Vienna]] on 6/18 September, but at the first rehearsal three days later he was so dismayed by the cramped conditions of the concert venue that he cancelled his engagement and left the city at once.</ref>
<ref name="note3">Tchaikovsky did not in fact travel to [[Kiev]] at all in mid/late August 1892 or at any other point that summer. Instead, on 11/23 August he paid a brief visit to [[Moscow]] in order to liaise with the engravers who were preparing the scores of ''[[The Nutcracker]]'' and ''[[Iolanta]]'' for publication, returning to [[Klin]] immediately afterwards to go through the proofs. His decision to accept the invitation to give a concert in [[Vienna]] changed his travel plans for that summer considerably (see [[Letter 4754]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 14/26 August 1892).</ref>
<ref name="note4">Alfred Grünfeld (1852–1924), Austrian pianist.</ref>
<ref name="note5">Moriz Rosenthal (1862–1946), Polish pianist.</ref>
<ref name="note6">[[Osip Jurgenson]] (1829–1910), brother of [[Pyotr Jurgenson]].</ref>
</references>
[[Category:Letters with Facsimiles]]

Letter 4749a - Revision history

Brett: 1 revision imported

Brett at 21:52, 7 December 2019