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{{letterhead
|Date=23 August/4 September 1893
|To=[[Michał Hertz]]
|Place=[[Saint Petersburg]]
|Language=German
|Autograph=[[Moscow]] (Russia): {{RUS-Mt}}
|Publication={{bibx|1940/232|Чайковский на Московской сцене}} (1940), p. 484–485<br/>{{bib|1970/6|Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты}} (1970), p. 86<br/>{{bib|1981/80|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том XVII}} (1981), p. 174–175. }}

==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=German
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Original text={{right|''Moskau''<br/>23 August 1893}}
{{centre|Sehr geehrter Herr!}}
Die ''Musik''[,] die ich vor einigen Jahren {{sic|für|zu}} ''Hamlet'' geschrieben habe, ist eigentlich kein ernstes Kunstwerk. Ich habe sie nämlich für {{sic|den ''Benefis'' vom|die Benefiz-Vorstellung von}} einem Freunde sehr schnell gemacht[,] nur um ihm das {{sic|vergnügen|Vergnügen}} zu schaffen[,] {{sic|meine ''Nahme''|meinen Namen}} auf der {{sic|Anonce|Annonce}} drucken zu {{sic|lohnen|lassen}}. Sie ist für ein ganz {{sic|kleine|kleines}} ''Orchester'' orchestrirt und passt zu einem grossen Kaiserlichen Theater nicht. Daher rahte ich Ihnen[,] meine so genannte Hamlet-Musik nicht zu spielen. Ich habe eine grosse '' Hamlet-Ouvertüre'' componirt; {{sic|sie|Sie}} könnten sie spielen, aber sie ist zu gross, mehr eine Simphonische Dichtung als Ouvertüre und braucht einen sehr {{sic|starcken|starkes}} ''Orchester''.

Ich empfehle Ihnen die {{sic|schone|schöne}} ''Hamlet-Musik'' von ''{{sic|Genz|Georg}} Henschel''.

Jedenfalls kann ich Ihnen in {{sic|Ihren|Ihrer}} Verlegenheit nicht helfen, da ich selbst vollständig vergessen habe[,] wie und wann, d. h. bei welchen Scenen und Worten die Musik einfallen soll.

Bitte um {{sic|Einschuldigung|Entschuldigung}}.

Ihr ergebenster,
{{right|P. Tschaikovsky}}

|Translated text={{right|''[[Moscow]]'' <ref name="note1"/><br/>23 August 1893}}
{{centre|Most respected Sir!}}
The ''music'' for ''[[Hamlet (incidental music)|Hamlet]]'' which I wrote a few years ago is not really a serious work of art. I wrote it in fact very quickly for the ''benefit performance'' of a friend <ref name="note2"/>, just to afford him the pleasure of being able to print my ''name'' on the playbill. It is scored for a very small ''orchestra'' and is not suitable for a large imperial theatre. I therefore recommend you not to play my so-called [[Hamlet (incidental music)|Hamlet music]] <ref name="note3"/>. I have composed a big ''[[Hamlet (overture-fantasia)|Hamlet overture]]'': you could play that, though it is too big—more of a symphonic poem than an overture—and requires a very strong ''orchestra''.

I recommend to you the beautiful ''Hamlet music'' by ''[[George Henschel]]'' <ref name="note4"/>.

In any case, I cannot help you out of your predicament, because I have myself completely forgotten how and when, i.e. at which scenes and lines the music is supposed to set in.

I beg your forgiveness.

Your most devoted,
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
}}

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">This appears to have been a slip of the pen by Tchaikovsky, who was in [[Saint Petersburg]] at this time.</ref>
<ref name="note2">The French actor [[Lucien Guitry]].</ref>
<ref name="note3">[[Michał Hertz]] had written (in German) to Tchaikovsky on 16/28 August 1893, explaining that the [[Warsaw]] Theatre intended to stage [[Shakespeare]]'s '' Hamlet'' using Tchaikovsky's [[Hamlet (incidental music)|incidental music]]. He asked Tchaikovsky if he could provide more specific indications as to the scenes and lines in the play which were meant to be illustrated by the musical numbers in the score published by [[Jurgenson]]. [[Michał Hertz|Hertz]]'s letter is included in {{bibx|1940/232| Чайковский на московской сцене}} (1940), p. 482–483.</ref>
<ref name="note4">The German-born British singer, conductor and composer Sir [[George Henschel]] (1850–1934) composed his incidental music to ''Hamlet'' for the actor-manager Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree's acclaimed production of the tragedy at the Haymarket Theatre, [[London]], in 1892. Tchaikovsky had been acquainted with [[Henschel]] since 1875, and during his last visit to [[London]] in June 1893 he spent some time with [[Henschel]] and his family. It is likely that on this occasion [[Henschel]] showed him the score of his incidental music for ''Hamlet'' which had been published in September 1892 — see {{bib|1980/112|Stanford, the Cambridge Jubilee, and Tchaikovsky}} (1980), p. 401–402.</ref>
</references>

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