Letter 877 - Revision history

Tony at 10:30, 18 June 2024

2024-06-18T10:30:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:30, 18 June 2024
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	I have just completed a whole series of various, non-orchestral compositions and am very glad that I can now do nothing for a while. I have written a sonata for piano <ref name="note4"/>, 3 violin pieces <ref name="note5"/>, 12 small piano pieces <ref name="note6"/>, 24 little piano pieces for children <ref name="note7"/>, 6 romances <ref name="note8"/>, and an entire [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]] for mixed chorus. Our poor [[Pyotr Jurgenson\|Pyotr Ivanovich]] — what a lot of work I've given him to do!		I have just completed a whole series of various, non-orchestral compositions and am very glad that I can now do nothing for a while. I have written a sonata for piano <ref name="note4"/>, 3 violin pieces <ref name="note5"/>, 12 small piano pieces <ref name="note6"/>, 24 little piano pieces for children <ref name="note7"/>, 6 romances <ref name="note8"/>, and an entire [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]] for mixed chorus. Our poor [[Pyotr Jurgenson\|Pyotr Ivanovich]] — what a lot of work I've given him to do!

	I cannot think about my return to [[Moscow]] without feeling a shudder of the utmost revulsion. If it weren't for you and a couple of other people to whom I am indeed sincerely attached, then I think I would rather agree to suffer want and penury than to start this whole drag all over again and to return to a city which has become utterly loathsome to me. Anyway, perhaps things will turn out all right somehow and it will pass. In any case I shall arrive by 1st September <ref name="note9"/>. Your wonderful letter again reminded me that you have a ''tremendous musical talent'' which is going to waste. This is very, very, very sad.		I cannot think about my return to [[Moscow]] without feeling a shudder of the utmost revulsion. If it weren't for you and a couple of other people to whom I am indeed sincerely attached, then I think I would rather agree to suffer want and penury than to start this whole drag all over again and to return to a city which has become utterly loathsome to me. Anyway, perhaps things will turn out all right somehow and it will pass. In any case, I shall arrive by 1st September <ref name="note9"/>. Your wonderful letter again reminded me that you have a ''tremendous musical talent'' which is going to waste. This is very, very, very sad.

	Farewell, dear fellow.		Farewell, dear fellow.
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	==Notes and References==		==Notes and References==
	<references>		<references>
	<ref name="note1">In {{bibx\|1940/228\|Чайковский на московской сцене}} (1940) the reasoning for the two cut-off dates for this letter is as follows: 25 July/6 August 1878 was the date of completion of the [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]], and 5/17 August 1878 the date of Tchaikovsky's departure from [[Verbovka]]. However, the editors of {{bib\|1962/102\|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VII}} (1962) determined the date more precisely, based on the fact that the letter referred to from [[Karl Albrecht]] was written on 16 July 1878, with the post from [[Moscow]] to [[Kamenka]] normally taking four days to arrive, and that Tchaikovsky waited a further "two days" before sending his reply.</ref>		<ref name="note1">In {{bibx\|1940/228\|Чайковский на московской сцене}} (1940), the reasoning for the two cut-off dates for this letter is as follows: 25 July/6 August 1878 was the date of completion of the [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]], and 5/17 August 1878 the date of Tchaikovsky's departure from [[Verbovka]]. However, the editors of {{bib\|1962/102\|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VII}} (1962) determined the date more precisely, based on the fact that the letter referred to from [[Karl Albrecht]] was written on 16 July 1878, with the post from [[Moscow]] to [[Kamenka]] normally taking four days to arrive, and that Tchaikovsky waited a further "two days" before sending his reply.</ref>
	<ref name="note2">[[Karl Albrecht]]'s musical letter of 16/28 July 1878, which [[Modest Tchaikovsky]] reprinted in its entirety as Appendix 2 to the second volume of his biography of his brother. This musical letter consists of a vocal part and accompaniment extending to just over 80 bars. The text of the vocal part is as follows: "Dear Petrusha! I am publishing a choral anthology for delicate women's voices and am including in it [choruses] by all our finest and most renowned classics. Since among them you occupy one of the highest places, I have included you in it. But the trouble is: what shall I do if you don't help me? There is a charming chorus in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'', a chorus of flowers, in the fourth act, which is interrupted when the melodrama is suddenly played, with the clarinets in unison playing the whole melody [of the chorus] in thirds. Now, verses fit this ~~metre—it~~'s just as if you had composed the music with them in ~~mind—except~~ for the last two bars, and I don't know what to do with these unless you are so kind as to write and tell me. [[Jurgenson]] is waiting for me to return the proofs; August is fast approaching, so please write to me how I should proceed! O, send the blessing of peace to my upset ~~heart—for~~ this I shall be very grateful to you. Your Kostya, who loves you sincerely. // [[Moscow]], 1878, 16 July". (Милый Петруша! Я издаю хоровой сборник для нежных женских голосов и помещаю там из наших классиков всех лучших, всех лучших и знаменитейших. Так как ты меж ними там занимаешь место одно из высших, из высших, то я поместил тебя туда; но вот беда, что делать мне, если ты не поможешь? Есть милый хор в Снегурочке, хор цветов, в четвёртом действии, но который прерываясь, мелодрамой вдруг идёт, а кларнеты в терциях дружно всю мелодию играют, а стихи в размер подходят, будто ты на них сочинил, за исключением последних двух тактов, с которыми не знаю что делать, коль ты не будешь мил и напишешь мне. Юргенсон ждёт корректуры, август месяц очень близок, пожалуйста пиши мне как мне поступать! И, о пришли моему расстроенному сердцу мира благодеянье, за что буду очень благодарен я. Твой, тебя искренно любящий Костя. // Москва, 1878 года 16-го июля). Here quoted from {{bib\|1997/95\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 2}} (1997), p. 602-607. [[Albrecht]] signs himself as "Kostya", the affectionate diminutive of Konstantin, because that was the Christian name he adopted when he converted to the Russian Orthodox faith in 1876.</ref>		<ref name="note2">[[Karl Albrecht]]'s musical letter of 16/28 July 1878, which [[Modest Tchaikovsky]] reprinted in its entirety as Appendix 2 to the second volume of his biography of his brother. This musical letter consists of a vocal part and accompaniment extending to just over 80 bars. The text of the vocal part is as follows: "Dear Petrusha! I am publishing a choral anthology for delicate women's voices and am including in it [choruses] by all our finest and most renowned classics. Since among them you occupy one of the highest places, I have included you in it. But the trouble is: what shall I do if you don't help me? There is a charming chorus in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'', a chorus of flowers, in the fourth act, which is interrupted when the melodrama is suddenly played, with the clarinets in unison playing the whole melody [of the chorus] in thirds. Now, verses fit this metre — it's just as if you had composed the music with them in mind — except for the last two bars, and I don't know what to do with these unless you are so kind as to write and tell me. [[Jurgenson]] is waiting for me to return the proofs; August is fast approaching, so please write to me how I should proceed! O, send the blessing of peace to my upset heart — for this I shall be very grateful to you. Your Kostya, who loves you sincerely. // [[Moscow]], 1878, 16 July". (Милый Петруша! Я издаю хоровой сборник для нежных женских голосов и помещаю там из наших классиков всех лучших, всех лучших и знаменитейших. Так как ты меж ними там занимаешь место одно из высших, из высших, то я поместил тебя туда; но вот беда, что делать мне, если ты не поможешь? Есть милый хор в Снегурочке, хор цветов, в четвёртом действии, но который прерываясь, мелодрамой вдруг идёт, а кларнеты в терциях дружно всю мелодию играют, а стихи в размер подходят, будто ты на них сочинил, за исключением последних двух тактов, с которыми не знаю что делать, коль ты не будешь мил и напишешь мне. Юргенсон ждёт корректуры, август месяц очень близок, пожалуйста пиши мне как мне поступать! И, о пришли моему расстроенному сердцу мира благодеянье, за что буду очень благодарен я. Твой, тебя искренно любящий Костя. // Москва, 1878 года 16-го июля). Here quoted from {{bib\|1997/95\|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 2}} (1997), p. 602-607. [[Albrecht]] signs himself as "Kostya", the affectionate diminutive of Konstantin, because that was the Christian name he adopted when he converted to the Russian Orthodox faith in 1876.</ref>
	<ref name="note3">In his musical letter (quoted in full in the note above) [[Albrecht]] had asked Tchaikovsky for permission to include in his anthology of choruses for women's voices the "chorus of flowers" from Act IV of ''[[The Snow Maiden]]''. It is difficult to say which chorus [[Albrecht]] could have had in mind, because there is no chorus of flowers in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]''. There is only one women's chorus in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'', namely the Girls' Round Dance in Act III: ''Ai vo pole'' (Ай, во поле), whose theme also introduces Brusila's Song — note by Vasily Kiselev in {{bibx\|1940/228\|Чайковский на московской сцене}} (1940), p. 280.</ref>		<ref name="note3">In his musical letter (quoted in full in the note above), [[Albrecht]] had asked Tchaikovsky for permission to include in his anthology of choruses for women's voices the "chorus of flowers" from Act IV of ''[[The Snow Maiden]]''. It is difficult to say which chorus [[Albrecht]] could have had in mind, because there is no chorus of flowers in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]''. There is only one women's chorus in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'', namely the Girls' Round Dance in Act III: ''Ai vo pole'' (Ай, во поле), whose theme also introduces Brusila's Song — note by Vasily Kiselev in {{bibx\|1940/228\|Чайковский на московской сцене}} (1940), p. 280.</ref>
	<ref name="note4">The [[Grand Sonata]], Op. 37.</ref>		<ref name="note4">The [[Grand Sonata]], Op. 37.</ref>
	<ref name="note5">The cycle ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' for violin and piano, Op. 42.</ref>		<ref name="note5">The cycle ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' for violin and piano, Op. 42.</ref>

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2022-07-12T12:47:43Z

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Brett at 15:53, 9 November 2019

2019-11-09T15:53:40Z

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{{letterhead
|Date=22 July/3 August 1878
|To=[[Karl Albrecht]]
|Place=[[Verbovka]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Moscow]]: {{RUS-Mt}}
|Publication={{bib|1901/24|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 2}} (1901), p. 192–193 (abridged)<br/>{{bibx|1940/228|Чайковский на Московской сцене}} (1940), p. 279 (dated "between 25 July and 5 August") <ref name="note1"/><br/>{{bib|1962/102|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VII}} (1962), p. 343 }}

==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Original text={{right|''Вербовка''}}
{{centre|Карлуша мой, дорогой и милый!}}
Твоё чудное, ''гениальное'' письмо я получил и вот уже два дня наслаждаюсь им, беспрестанно смотрю и изучаю его. Хотел тебе отвечать таким же образом, — но не мог найти подходящего расположения духа и чувствовал, что в состоянии только сделать плохую копию с твоего, а поэтому решаюсь писать тебе просто.

Я решительно не помню стихов и музыки того хора, о котором ты пишешь, и если б не твоё письмо, в котором мотив этого хора так прелестно выступает, то я бы вовсе не в состоянии был припомнить его. Как устроить его со словами, я решительно не знаю и не понимаю, какие две строчки не подходят к музыке.

Предоставляю тебе распорядиться как тебе угодно и с музыкой и со словами. Пожалуйста, не стесняйся изменять, сокращать и переделывать как целое, так и подробности

Я только что окончил целый ряд разных сочинений не оркестровых и очень рад, что могу теперь несколько времени ничего не делать. Я написал сонату для ф-п, 3 скрипичных пиесы, 12 ф-п мелких пиэс, 24 детских пиэски для ф-п, 6 романсов и полную литургию Иоанна Златоустого для смешанного хора. Бедный наш Пётр Иванович! задал я ему работы.

О возвращении в Москву я не могу думать без трепета величайшего отвращения. Если б не ты и ещё пара людей, к которым я в самом деле искренно привязан, то, кажется, я лучше бы согласился лучше нищенствовать и бедствовать, чем опять начинать всю канитель и возвращаться в город, который мне совершенно опостылел. Впрочем, может быть, это обойдётся и пройдёт. Во всяком случае к 1-му сентябрю я приеду. Твоё чудное письмо опять навело меня на мысль, что у тебя ''огромный музыкальный талант'', который пропадает даром. Это очень, очень, очень грустно.

Прощай, мой милый.
{{right|Твой П. Чайковский}}

|Translated text={{right|''[[Verbovka]]''}}
{{centre|My dear and good [[Karlusha]]!}}
I received your wonderful, ''ingenious'' letter <ref name="note2"/>, which has delighted me over the last two days as I have been constantly looking at it and studying it. I wanted to reply to you in the same fashion, but I couldn't find the right mood and I felt that I would only be able to produce a poor copy of your letter. So I have decided to write you just a simple letter.

I really do not remember the verses and music of the chorus you write about <ref name="note3"/>, and if it hadn't been for your letter, in which the theme of that chorus appears so charmingly, I would just not have been able to recall it. I really don't know how to fix it up with words, and I don't understand which two verses are unsuited to the music.

I give you a free hand to proceed with both the music and the words as you wish. Please don't hesitate to modify, abridge and rewrite the whole number, as well as any details

I have just completed a whole series of various, non-orchestral compositions and am very glad that I can now do nothing for a while. I have written a sonata for piano <ref name="note4"/>, 3 violin pieces <ref name="note5"/>, 12 small piano pieces <ref name="note6"/>, 24 little piano pieces for children <ref name="note7"/>, 6 romances <ref name="note8"/>, and an entire [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]] for mixed chorus. Our poor [[Pyotr Jurgenson|Pyotr Ivanovich]] — what a lot of work I've given him to do!

I cannot think about my return to [[Moscow]] without feeling a shudder of the utmost revulsion. If it weren't for you and a couple of other people to whom I am indeed sincerely attached, then I think I would rather agree to suffer want and penury than to start this whole drag all over again and to return to a city which has become utterly loathsome to me. Anyway, perhaps things will turn out all right somehow and it will pass. In any case I shall arrive by 1st September <ref name="note9"/>. Your wonderful letter again reminded me that you have a ''tremendous musical talent'' which is going to waste. This is very, very, very sad.

Farewell, dear fellow.
{{right|Yours, P. Tchaikovsky }}
}}

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">In {{bibx|1940/228|Чайковский на московской сцене}} (1940) the reasoning for the two cut-off dates for this letter is as follows: 25 July/6 August 1878 was the date of completion of the [[Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom]], and 5/17 August 1878 the date of Tchaikovsky's departure from [[Verbovka]]. However, the editors of {{bib|1962/102|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VII}} (1962) determined the date more precisely, based on the fact that the letter referred to from [[Karl Albrecht]] was written on 16 July 1878, with the post from [[Moscow]] to [[Kamenka]] normally taking four days to arrive, and that Tchaikovsky waited a further "two days" before sending his reply.</ref>
<ref name="note2">[[Karl Albrecht]]'s musical letter of 16/28 July 1878, which [[Modest Tchaikovsky]] reprinted in its entirety as Appendix 2 to the second volume of his biography of his brother. This musical letter consists of a vocal part and accompaniment extending to just over 80 bars. The text of the vocal part is as follows: "Dear Petrusha! I am publishing a choral anthology for delicate women's voices and am including in it [choruses] by all our finest and most renowned classics. Since among them you occupy one of the highest places, I have included you in it. But the trouble is: what shall I do if you don't help me? There is a charming chorus in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'', a chorus of flowers, in the fourth act, which is interrupted when the melodrama is suddenly played, with the clarinets in unison playing the whole melody [of the chorus] in thirds. Now, verses fit this metre—it's just as if you had composed the music with them in mind—except for the last two bars, and I don't know what to do with these unless you are so kind as to write and tell me. [[Jurgenson]] is waiting for me to return the proofs; August is fast approaching, so please write to me how I should proceed! O, send the blessing of peace to my upset heart—for this I shall be very grateful to you. Your Kostya, who loves you sincerely. // [[Moscow]], 1878, 16 July". (Милый Петруша! Я издаю хоровой сборник для нежных женских голосов и помещаю там из наших классиков всех лучших, всех лучших и знаменитейших. Так как ты меж ними там занимаешь место одно из высших, из высших, то я поместил тебя туда; но вот беда, что делать мне, если ты не поможешь? Есть милый хор в Снегурочке, хор цветов, в четвёртом действии, но который прерываясь, мелодрамой вдруг идёт, а кларнеты в терциях дружно всю мелодию играют, а стихи в размер подходят, будто ты на них сочинил, за исключением последних двух тактов, с которыми не знаю что делать, коль ты не будешь мил и напишешь мне. Юргенсон ждёт корректуры, август месяц очень близок, пожалуйста пиши мне как мне поступать! И, о пришли моему расстроенному сердцу мира благодеянье, за что буду очень благодарен я. Твой, тебя искренно любящий Костя. // Москва, 1878 года 16-го июля). Here quoted from {{bib|1997/95|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 2}} (1997), p. 602-607. [[Albrecht]] signs himself as "Kostya", the affectionate diminutive of Konstantin, because that was the Christian name he adopted when he converted to the Russian Orthodox faith in 1876.</ref>
<ref name="note3">In his musical letter (quoted in full in the note above) [[Albrecht]] had asked Tchaikovsky for permission to include in his anthology of choruses for women's voices the "chorus of flowers" from Act IV of ''[[The Snow Maiden]]''. It is difficult to say which chorus [[Albrecht]] could have had in mind, because there is no chorus of flowers in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]''. There is only one women's chorus in ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'', namely the Girls' Round Dance in Act III: ''Ai vo pole'' (Ай, во поле), whose theme also introduces Brusila's Song — note by Vasily Kiselev in {{bibx|1940/228|Чайковский на московской сцене}} (1940), p. 280.</ref>
<ref name="note4">The [[Grand Sonata]], Op. 37.</ref>
<ref name="note5">The cycle ''[[Souvenir d'un lieu cher]]'' for violin and piano, Op. 42.</ref>
<ref name="note6">[[Twelve Pieces, Op. 40]].</ref>
<ref name="note7">The ''[[Children's Album]]'', Op. 39.</ref>
<ref name="note8">[[Six Romances, Op. 38]].</ref>
<ref name="note9">Tchaikovsky returned to [[Moscow]] on 10/22 September 1878 and the next day resumed his teaching duties at the Conservatory. Within less than a month, however, encouraged by [[Nadezhda von Meck]]'s offer of financial support so that he could devote himself fully to composing, Tchaikovsky decided to resign from the Conservatory and to go abroad again.</ref>
</references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0877}}