Letter 493 - Revision history

Tony: Omitted "on 30 December 1868/11 January 1869" to avoid repetition

2024-03-23T14:32:36Z

Omitted "on 30 December 1868/11 January 1869" to avoid repetition

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:32, 23 March 2024
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	3) How can you seriously ask if it would be ''disagreeable'' to me if you keep my harmonisation? It goes without saying that I will be proud of my participation in your collection.		3) How can you seriously ask if it would be ''disagreeable'' to me if you keep my harmonisation? It goes without saying that I will be proud of my participation in your collection.

	4) I have the following folksongs in "''[[The Snow Maiden]]''". 1) The theme of the ''dance'' of the birds, is taken from ''[[Prokunin]]''{{'}}s collection (part 1, page 35)<ref name="note3"/>. 2) The ''Chorus of Farewell to Winter'', also from the same (part 1, page 19 <ref name="note4"/>). 3) The tenor solo in that ''farewell'' is also [[Prokunin]]'s (part 1, page 8) <ref name="note5"/>. 4) the Allegro from Lel's First Song (''A minor'')<ref name="note6"/> is also from there (part 1, page 26). 5) ''Lel''{{'}}s Second Song <ref name="note7"/> is also from there (part 1, page 4). 6) ''Brusila''{{'}}s Song is also from there (part 1, page 25) <ref name="note8"/>. As you will see, I have somewhat altered all 6 songs. In general, do take a look at ''[[Prokunin]]''{{'}}s collection: it must be the richest of all in terms of choice. The theme of the Chorus of Blind ''Gusli Players'' is taken from ''Villebois''{{'}}s collection, but only the very beginning: the rest is all mine <ref name="note9"/>. That song is in my collection. If you take it into your head to include the song (it is in my collection for 4 hands), from which I made the Andante of my [[String Quartet No. 1\|1st quartet]] <ref name="note10"/>		4) I have the following folksongs in "''[[The Snow Maiden]]''". 1) The theme of the ''dance'' of the birds, is taken from ''[[Prokunin]]''{{'}}s collection (part 1, page 35) <ref name="note3"/>. 2) The ''Chorus of Farewell to Winter'', also from the same (part 1, page 19) <ref name="note4"/>. 3) The tenor solo in that ''farewell'' is also [[Prokunin]]'s (part 1, page 8) <ref name="note5"/>. 4) the Allegro from Lel's First Song (''A minor'') <ref name="note6"/> is also from there (part 1, page 26). 5) ''Lel''{{'}}s Second Song <ref name="note7"/> is also from there (part 1, page 4). 6) ''Brusila''{{'}}s Song is also from there (part 1, page 25) <ref name="note8"/>. As you will see, I have somewhat altered all 6 songs. In general, do take a look at ''[[Prokunin]]''{{'}}s collection: it must be the richest of all in terms of choice. The theme of the Chorus of Blind ''Gusli Players'' is taken from ''Villebois''{{'}}s collection, but only the very beginning: the rest is all mine <ref name="note9"/>. That song is in my collection. If you take it into your head to include the song (it is in my collection for 4 hands), from which I made the Andante of my [[String Quartet No. 1\|1st quartet]] <ref name="note10"/>
	[[File:0493 ex1.jpg\|200px\|centre]]		[[File:0493 ex1.jpg\|200px\|centre]]
	etc., then you should know that I noted it down myself in [[Kiev]] province, from a carpenter who was a native of Kaluga province.		etc., then you should know that I noted it down myself in [[Kiev]] province, from a carpenter who was a native of Kaluga province.
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	<ref name="note7">Similarly, this was published as the first of the two versions of Lel's Third Song (Act III, No. 14a), which uses 'I Was Strolling Along the Riverbank' (Я по бережку прохаживла), No. 2 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>		<ref name="note7">Similarly, this was published as the first of the two versions of Lel's Third Song (Act III, No. 14a), which uses 'I Was Strolling Along the Riverbank' (Я по бережку прохаживла), No. 2 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
	<ref name="note8">Brusila's Song (Act III, No. 15) uses the folk tune 'Where Have You Been?' (Где ж ты была?), No. 25 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>		<ref name="note8">Brusila's Song (Act III, No. 15) uses the folk tune 'Where Have You Been?' (Где ж ты была?), No. 25 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
	<ref name="note9">The Chorus of Blind Gusli-Players (Act II, No. 9) uses the folk tune 'It Isn't Drink That's Muddling My Head' (Не хмель мою головушку клонит), which Tchaikovsky had previously arranged as No. 14 of his own [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]]. On 30 December/11 January 1869 Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Mily Balakirev]] ~~on 30 December 1868/11 January 1869~~: "[[Jurgenson]] asked me to make a four hand arrangement of 50 Russian songs, 25 of which I have already done; they are drawn from Villebois' collection. It goes without saying that I discarded Villebois' harmonisations and did them myself, and furthermore, I decided here and there to rewrite the melodies to make them more in keeping with the character of folksongs" ([[Letter 126]]). This song appears as No. 29 in book 1 of Konstantin Villebois edition of ''Russian Folk Songs'' (Русские народные песни) (Saint Petersburg, 1860).</ref>		<ref name="note9">The Chorus of Blind Gusli-Players (Act II, No. 9) uses the folk tune 'It Isn't Drink That's Muddling My Head' (Не хмель мою головушку клонит), which Tchaikovsky had previously arranged as No. 14 of his own [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]]. On 30 December/11 January 1869, Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Mily Balakirev]]: "[[Jurgenson]] asked me to make a four-hand arrangement of 50 Russian songs, 25 of which I have already done; they are drawn from Villebois' collection. It goes without saying that I discarded Villebois' harmonisations and did them myself, and furthermore, I decided here and there to rewrite the melodies to make them more in keeping with the character of folksongs" ([[Letter 126]]). This song appears as No. 29 in book 1 of Konstantin Villebois edition of ''Russian Folk Songs'' (Русские народные песни) (Saint Petersburg, 1860).</ref>
	<ref name="note10">The main theme of the quartet's second movement (Andante cantabile), comes from an old Russian song, well-known during the 1870s, with the words "Vanya sat on the divan, smoking his tobacco pipe" («Сидел Ваня на диване, курил трубку с табаком»), which Tchaikovsky adapted as No. 47 in his collection of [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]].</ref>		<ref name="note10">The main theme of the quartet's second movement (Andante cantabile), comes from an old Russian song, well-known during the 1870s, with the words "Vanya sat on the divan, smoking his tobacco pipe" («Сидел Ваня на диване, курил трубку с табаком»), which Tchaikovsky adapted as No. 47 in his collection of [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]].</ref>
	<ref name="note11">[[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s Symphony No. 2 in B minor, known as ''Antar'' had been written in 1868 and revised in 1875, in which form it was premiered at the tenth Russian Musical Society concert in [[Moscow]] on 12/24 March 1876, conducted by [[Nikolay Rubinstein]]. The work was further revised in 1897 and 1903, when the author changed its designation from "symphony" to "symphonic suite".</ref>		<ref name="note11">[[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s Symphony No. 2 in B minor, known as ''Antar'' had been written in 1868 and revised in 1875, in which form it was premiered at the tenth Russian Musical Society concert in [[Moscow]] on 12/24 March 1876, conducted by [[Nikolay Rubinstein]]. The work was further revised in 1897 and 1903, when the author changed its designation from "symphony" to "symphonic suite".</ref>
	</references>		</references>
	{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0493}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0493}}

Tony: /* Notes and References */

2023-04-12T11:09:34Z

Notes and References

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:09, 12 April 2023
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	<ref name="note6">The numbering of Lel's songs was changed at the time of publication of the full score in 1895, and the one in A minor referred to here was published as Lel's Second Song (Act I, No. 7). The folksong 'By the Gates' (У ворот, ворот) was No. 23 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>		<ref name="note6">The numbering of Lel's songs was changed at the time of publication of the full score in 1895, and the one in A minor referred to here was published as Lel's Second Song (Act I, No. 7). The folksong 'By the Gates' (У ворот, ворот) was No. 23 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
	<ref name="note7">Similarly, this was published as the first of the two versions of Lel's Third Song (Act III, No. 14a), which uses 'I Was Strolling Along the Riverbank' (Я по бережку прохаживла), No. 2 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>		<ref name="note7">Similarly, this was published as the first of the two versions of Lel's Third Song (Act III, No. 14a), which uses 'I Was Strolling Along the Riverbank' (Я по бережку прохаживла), No. 2 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
	<ref name="note8">Brusila's Song (Act III, No. 15) uses the folk-tune 'Where Have You Been?' (Где ж ты была?), No. 25 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>		<ref name="note8">Brusila's Song (Act III, No. 15) uses the folk tune 'Where Have You Been?' (Где ж ты была?), No. 25 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
	<ref name="note9">The Chorus of Blind Gusli-Players (Act II, No. 9) uses the folk-tune 'It Isn't Drink That's Muddling My Head' (Не хмель мою головушку клонит), which Tchaikovsky had previously arranged as No. 14 of his own [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]]. On 30 December/11 January 1869 Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Mily Balakirev]] on 30 December 1868/11 January 1869: "[[Jurgenson]] asked me to make a four hand arrangement of 50 Russian songs, 25 of which I have already done; they are drawn from Villebois' collection. It goes without saying that I discarded Villebois' harmonisations and did them myself, and furthermore, I decided here and there to rewrite the melodies to make them more in keeping with the character of folksongs" ([[Letter 126]]). This song appears as No. 29 in book 1 of Konstantin Villebois edition of ''Russian Folk Songs'' (Русские народные песни) (Saint Petersburg, 1860).</ref>		<ref name="note9">The Chorus of Blind Gusli-Players (Act II, No. 9) uses the folk tune 'It Isn't Drink That's Muddling My Head' (Не хмель мою головушку клонит), which Tchaikovsky had previously arranged as No. 14 of his own [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]]. On 30 December/11 January 1869 Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Mily Balakirev]] on 30 December 1868/11 January 1869: "[[Jurgenson]] asked me to make a four hand arrangement of 50 Russian songs, 25 of which I have already done; they are drawn from Villebois' collection. It goes without saying that I discarded Villebois' harmonisations and did them myself, and furthermore, I decided here and there to rewrite the melodies to make them more in keeping with the character of folksongs" ([[Letter 126]]). This song appears as No. 29 in book 1 of Konstantin Villebois edition of ''Russian Folk Songs'' (Русские народные песни) (Saint Petersburg, 1860).</ref>
	<ref name="note10">The main theme of the quartet's second movement (Andante cantabile), comes from an old Russian song, well-known during the 1870s, with the words "Vanya sat on the divan, smoking his tobacco pipe" («Сидел Ваня на диване, курил трубку с табаком»), which Tchaikovsky adapted as No. 47 in his collection of [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]].</ref>		<ref name="note10">The main theme of the quartet's second movement (Andante cantabile), comes from an old Russian song, well-known during the 1870s, with the words "Vanya sat on the divan, smoking his tobacco pipe" («Сидел Ваня на диване, курил трубку с табаком»), which Tchaikovsky adapted as No. 47 in his collection of [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]].</ref>
	<ref name="note11">[[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s Symphony No. 2 in B minor, known as ''Antar'' had been written in 1868 and revised in 1875, in which form it was premiered at the tenth Russian Musical Society concert in [[Moscow]] on 12/24 March 1876, conducted by [[Nikolay Rubinstein]]. The work was further revised in 1897 and 1903, when the author changed its designation from "symphony" to "symphonic suite".</ref>		<ref name="note11">[[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s Symphony No. 2 in B minor, known as ''Antar'' had been written in 1868 and revised in 1875, in which form it was premiered at the tenth Russian Musical Society concert in [[Moscow]] on 12/24 March 1876, conducted by [[Nikolay Rubinstein]]. The work was further revised in 1897 and 1903, when the author changed its designation from "symphony" to "symphonic suite".</ref>
	</references>		</references>
	{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0493}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0493}}

Brett: 1 revision imported

2022-07-12T12:19:52Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 13:19, 12 July 2022
(No difference)

Brett at 16:03, 25 February 2020

2020-02-25T16:03:48Z

New page

{{letterhead
|Date=7/19 September 1876
|To=[[Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov]]
|Place=[[Moscow]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Saint Petersburg]] (Russia): {{RUS-SPsc}} (ф. 640, оп. 1, No. 1015, л. 6–7)
|Publication={{bib|1900/35|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1900), p. 499–500 (abridged)<br/>{{bibx|1945/29|Советская музыка. 3-и сборник статей}} (1945), p. 130–131 <br/>{{bib|1961/38|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VI}} (1961), p. 67–68
}}
==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Anna-Maria Leonard
|Original text={{right|''Москва''<br/>''7 сентября 1876''}}
{{centre|Милейший и добрейший Николай Андреевич!}}
Собирался ответить Вам длинным и обстоятельным письмом, но у меня набралось так много корреспонденции, что боюсь задержать Вас и отвечаю вкратце!

1) Можете делать с «''Утушкой''» все, что Вам угодно, нимало не стесняясь моей гармонизацией, ставя или не ставя моё имя, хотя последнее было бы очень для меня лестно.

2) Песня эта появилась у меня таким образом: ''Островский'' (довольно хорошо знающий русские песни) сам записал её и передал на бумажке, которую я тщетно искал вчера в столе. Это было давно, кажется, в 1866 году. Помню, что сущности я не изменил, но только однатонизировал её, ибо очень хорошо вспоминаю, что она была у него украшена диэзом вводного тона. Откуда же записал «''Утушку''» сам ''Островский''—не знаю. Полагаю, что он помнил её с детства.

3) Как Вы можете серьёзно спрашивать, ''не неприятно'' ли мне будет, что Вы сохраните мою гармонизацию? Само собою разумеется, что я буду гордиться своим участием в Вашем сборнике.

4) В «''Снегурочке''» у меня следующие народные песни. 1) Мотив ''пляски'' птиц взят из сборника ''Прокунина'' (часть I, стр. 35). 2) ''Хор провожания масленицы'' у него же (часть I, стр. 19). 3) Теноровое соло в этом же ''провожании'' тоже у Прокунина (часть I, стр. 8). 4) Allegro из первой песни Леля (''a-moll'') оттуда же (часть I, стр. 26). 5) Вторая песнь ''Леля'' оттуда же (часть 1, стр. 4). 6) Песнь ''Брусилы'' оттуда же (часть I, стр. 25). Все эти 6 песен, как Вы увидите, мною несколько изменены. Обратите вообще внимание на сборник ''Прокунина'': он едва ли не богаче всех по выбору. Тема хора слепых ''гусляров'' заимствована из сборника ''Вильбуа'', но только самое начало: остальное все моё. Эта песнь есть и в моем сборнике. Если вздумаете поместить песню (она есть в моем 4 ручн[ом] сборнике), из которой я сделал Andante 1-го квартета
[[File:0493 ex1.jpg|200px|centre]]
и т. д., то знайте, что я её записал сам в Киевск[ой] губ[ернии] от плотника, уроженца Калужской губ[ернии].

Я не писал Вам в прошлом году об «''Антаре''» единственно вследствие лени. Хотелось написать подробно, откладывал, откладывал и наконец провинился перед Вами. «''Антар''») произведение безусловно ''великолепное'' и во многих отношениях ''образцовое''. До свидания, милый друг. Кланяюсь Над[ежде] Ник[олаевне].
{{right|П. Чайковский}}

|Translated text={{right|''[[Moscow]]''<br/>''7 September 1876''}}
{{centre|Most dear and most kind [[Nikolay Andreyevich]]!}}
I was planning to reply to you with a long and detailed letter <ref name="note1"/>, but I have accumulated so much correspondence that I am fearful of delaying you and so am answering briefly!

1) You can do whatever you like with "''A Duckling''" and not worry about my harmonisation, either including or not including my name, although including it would be very flattering for me <ref name="note2"/>.

2) The way I came to have this song is as follows: ''[[Ostrovsky]]'' (who knows Russian songs rather well) noted it down himself and gave it to me on a piece of paper which I looked for in vain yesterday in my desk. It was a long time ago, in 1866, I think. I remember that I did not change the essence, but merely simplified the tonality, because I recall very well that in his version it had a sharp leading note. Where ''[[Ostrovsky]]'' himself noted down "''A Duckling''", I don't know. I expect that he remembered it from his childhood.

3) How can you seriously ask if it would be ''disagreeable'' to me if you keep my harmonisation? It goes without saying that I will be proud of my participation in your collection.

4) I have the following folksongs in "''[[The Snow Maiden]]''". 1) The theme of the ''dance'' of the birds, is taken from ''[[Prokunin]]''{{'}}s collection (part 1, page 35)<ref name="note3"/>. 2) The ''Chorus of Farewell to Winter'', also from the same (part 1, page 19 <ref name="note4"/>). 3) The tenor solo in that ''farewell'' is also [[Prokunin]]'s (part 1, page 8) <ref name="note5"/>. 4) the Allegro from Lel's First Song (''A minor'')<ref name="note6"/> is also from there (part 1, page 26). 5) ''Lel''{{'}}s Second Song <ref name="note7"/> is also from there (part 1, page 4). 6) ''Brusila''{{'}}s Song is also from there (part 1, page 25) <ref name="note8"/>. As you will see, I have somewhat altered all 6 songs. In general, do take a look at ''[[Prokunin]]''{{'}}s collection: it must be the richest of all in terms of choice. The theme of the Chorus of Blind ''Gusli Players'' is taken from ''Villebois''{{'}}s collection, but only the very beginning: the rest is all mine <ref name="note9"/>. That song is in my collection. If you take it into your head to include the song (it is in my collection for 4 hands), from which I made the Andante of my [[String Quartet No. 1|1st quartet]] <ref name="note10"/>
[[File:0493 ex1.jpg|200px|centre]]
etc., then you should know that I noted it down myself in [[Kiev]] province, from a carpenter who was a native of Kaluga province.

I did not write to you last year about "''Antar''" purely as a consequence of my laziness. I wanted to write in detail, put it off and put it off, and finally am at fault before you. "''Antar''" is without doubt a ''magnificent'' and in many respects ''model'' work <ref name="note11"/>. Until we meet, dear friend. Regards to Nadezhda Nikolayevna.
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
}}
==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">Tchaikovsky was replying to an undated letter from [[Rimsky-Korsakov]], asking if he could use the folksong 'A Duckling in the Meadow' (Ах, утушка луговая) — No. 18 of Tchaikovsky's [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]] for piano 4 hands (1868-69) — in his own forthcoming edition of Russian folksongs.</ref>
<ref name="note2">[[Rimsky-Korsakov]] did include "A Duckling in the Meadow" as No. 89 in his collection of ''100 Russian Folksongs'' (100 русских народных песен), Op. 24, with a note that the harmonisation was Tchaikovsky's.</ref>
<ref name="note3">The opening of the Dances and Chorus of Birds (Prologue, No. 1) from Tchaikovsky's incidental music to [[Aleksandr Ostrovsky]]'s play ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'' employs the folksong 'The Grey Eagle Flew up to the Mountains' (Вот сизый орел по гораи леталь); this appears as No. 31 in [[Vasily Prokunin]]'s collection of [[65 Russian Folksongs (Prokunin)|65 Russian Folksongs]], which Tchaikovsky had edited in 1872 and 1873.</ref>
<ref name="note4">The Chorus of Farewell to Winter (Prologue, No. 4) uses the folksong 'Long Time Said' (Давно сказано), which appeared on page 21 (not page 19) as No. 19 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
<ref name="note5">The folksong 'At Prince Volkhonsky's' (У кназя Волхонского) was No. 6 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
<ref name="note6">The numbering of Lel's songs was changed at the time of publication of the full score in 1895, and the one in A minor referred to here was published as Lel's Second Song (Act I, No. 7). The folksong 'By the Gates' (У ворот, ворот) was No. 23 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
<ref name="note7">Similarly, this was published as the first of the two versions of Lel's Third Song (Act III, No. 14a), which uses 'I Was Strolling Along the Riverbank' (Я по бережку прохаживла), No. 2 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
<ref name="note8">Brusila's Song (Act III, No. 15) uses the folk-tune 'Where Have You Been?' (Где ж ты была?), No. 25 in [[Prokunin]]'s collection.</ref>
<ref name="note9">The Chorus of Blind Gusli-Players (Act II, No. 9) uses the folk-tune 'It Isn't Drink That's Muddling My Head' (Не хмель мою головушку клонит), which Tchaikovsky had previously arranged as No. 14 of his own [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]]. On 30 December/11 January 1869 Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Mily Balakirev]] on 30 December 1868/11 January 1869: "[[Jurgenson]] asked me to make a four hand arrangement of 50 Russian songs, 25 of which I have already done; they are drawn from Villebois' collection. It goes without saying that I discarded Villebois' harmonisations and did them myself, and furthermore, I decided here and there to rewrite the melodies to make them more in keeping with the character of folksongs" ([[Letter 126]]). This song appears as No. 29 in book 1 of Konstantin Villebois edition of ''Russian Folk Songs'' (Русские народные песни) (Saint Petersburg, 1860).</ref>
<ref name="note10">The main theme of the quartet's second movement (Andante cantabile), comes from an old Russian song, well-known during the 1870s, with the words "Vanya sat on the divan, smoking his tobacco pipe" («Сидел Ваня на диване, курил трубку с табаком»), which Tchaikovsky adapted as No. 47 in his collection of [[Fifty Russian Folksongs]].</ref>
<ref name="note11">[[Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s Symphony No. 2 in B minor, known as ''Antar'' had been written in 1868 and revised in 1875, in which form it was premiered at the tenth Russian Musical Society concert in [[Moscow]] on 12/24 March 1876, conducted by [[Nikolay Rubinstein]]. The work was further revised in 1897 and 1903, when the author changed its designation from "symphony" to "symphonic suite".</ref>
</references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0493}}