Aleksandra Davydova: Difference between revisions

Tchaikovsky Research
 
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==Correspondence with Tchaikovsky==
==Correspondence with Tchaikovsky==
78 letters from Tchaikovsky to his sister Aleksandra have survived, dating from 1861 to 1879, of which those highlighted in bold have been translated into English on this website:
78 letters from Tchaikovsky to his sister Aleksandra have survived, dating from 1861 to 1879, all of which have been translated into English on this website:
* '''[[Letter 54]]''' –  10/22 March 1861, from [[Saint Petersburg]]
* '''[[Letter 54]]''' –  10/22 March 1861, from [[Saint Petersburg]]
* '''[[Letter 55]]''' –  9/21 June 1861, from [[Saint Petersburg]]
* '''[[Letter 55]]''' –  9/21 June 1861, from [[Saint Petersburg]]
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* '''[[Letter 219]]''' –  20 December 1870/1 January 1871, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 219]]''' –  20 December 1870/1 January 1871, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 229]]''' –  11/23 February 1871, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 229]]''' –  11/23 February 1871, from [[Moscow]]
* [[Letter 244]] –  9/21 December 1871, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 244]]''' –  9/21 December 1871, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 285]]''' –  9/21 January 1873, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 285]]''' –  9/21 January 1873, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 301]]''' –  27 April/9 May 1873, from [[Moscow]] (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and [[Modest Tchaikovsky]])
* '''[[Letter 301]]''' –  27 April/9 May 1873, from [[Moscow]] (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and [[Modest Tchaikovsky]])
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* '''[[Letter 499]]''' –  20 September/2 October 1876, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 499]]''' –  20 September/2 October 1876, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 503]]''' –  6/18 October 1876, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 503]]''' –  6/18 October 1876, from [[Moscow]]
* [[Letter 513]] –  8/20 November 1876, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 513]]''' –  8/20 November 1876, from [[Moscow]]
* [[Letter 523]] –  18/30 December 1876, from [[Moscow]] (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and [[Lev Davydov]])
* '''[[Letter 523]]''' –  18/30 December 1876, from [[Moscow]] (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and [[Lev Davydov]])
* [[Letter 526]] –  23 December 1876/4 January 1877, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 526]]''' –  23 December 1876/4 January 1877, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 531]]''' –  1/13 January 1877, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 531]]''' –  1/13 January 1877, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 532]]''' –  2/14 January 1877, from [[Moscow]]
* '''[[Letter 532]]''' –  2/14 January 1877, from [[Moscow]]
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* '''[[Letter 628]]''' –  26 October/7 November or 27 October/8 November 1877, from [[Clarens]]
* '''[[Letter 628]]''' –  26 October/7 November or 27 October/8 November 1877, from [[Clarens]]
* '''[[Letter 634]]''' –  31 October/12 November 1877, from [[Clarens]]
* '''[[Letter 634]]''' –  31 October/12 November 1877, from [[Clarens]]
* [[Letter 641]] –  8/20 November–9/21 November 1877, from [[Rome]]
* '''[[Letter 641]]''' –  8/20 November–9/21 November 1877, from [[Rome]]
* [[Letter 645]] –  12/24 November 1877, from [[Venice]]
* '''[[Letter 645]]''' –  12/24 November 1877, from [[Venice]]
* [[Letter 649]] –  18/30 November 1877, from [[Venice]]
* '''[[Letter 649]]''' –  18/30 November 1877, from [[Venice]]
* '''[[Letter 654]]''' –  21 November/3 December 1877, from [[Vienna]]
* '''[[Letter 654]]''' –  21 November/3 December 1877, from [[Vienna]]
* [[Letter 667]] –  2/14 December 1877, from [[Venice]] (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and [[Lev Davydov]])
* '''[[Letter 667]]''' –  2/14 December 1877, from [[Venice]] (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and [[Lev Davydov]])
* [[Letter 682]] –  8/20 December 1877, from [[Venice]]
* '''[[Letter 682]]''' –  8/20 December 1877, from [[Venice]]
* '''[[Letter 688]]''' –  12/24 December 1877, from [[Venice]]
* '''[[Letter 688]]''' –  12/24 December 1877, from [[Venice]]
* '''[[Letter 704]]''' –  24 December 1877/5 January 1878, from [[San Remo]]
* '''[[Letter 704]]''' –  24 December 1877/5 January 1878, from [[San Remo]]
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* '''[[Letter 908]]''' –  8/20 September 1878, from [[Saint Petersburg]] (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and [[Lev Davydov]])
* '''[[Letter 908]]''' –  8/20 September 1878, from [[Saint Petersburg]] (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and [[Lev Davydov]])
* '''[[Letter 954]]''' –  27 October/8 November 1878, from [[Saint Petersburg]]
* '''[[Letter 954]]''' –  27 October/8 November 1878, from [[Saint Petersburg]]
* [[Letter 979]] –  25 November/7 December 1878, from [[Florence]]
* '''[[Letter 979]]''' –  25 November/7 December 1878, from [[Florence]]
* '''[[Letter 1078]]''' –  21 January/2 February 1879, from [[Clarens]]
* '''[[Letter 1078]]''' –  21 January/2 February 1879, from [[Clarens]]
* '''[[Letter 1109]]''' –  15/27 February 1879, from [[Paris]]
* '''[[Letter 1109]]''' –  15/27 February 1879, from [[Paris]]

Latest revision as of 14:10, 7 August 2025

Aleksandra Davydova (1842-1891)

Younger sister of the composer (b. 28 December 1841/9 January 1842 in Votkinsk; d. 28 March/9 April 1891 in Kamenka), born Aleksandra Ilinichna Chaykovskaya (Апександра Ильинична Чайковская); known after her marriage as Aleksandra Ilinichna Davydova (Апександра Ильинична Давыдова). She was known affectionately to the composer as "Sasha" (Шаша).

Aleksandra was the fourth child of Ilya Tchaikovsky (1795–1880) and his wife Aleksandra (b. Assier, 1812–1854).

On 6/18 November 1860 she married Lev Davydov (1837–1896), and they had seven children: Tatyana (1861–1887); Vera (1863–1888); Anna (1864–1942); Natalya (1868–1956); Dmitry (1870–1929); Vladimir (1871–1906); and Yury (1876–1965).

Tchaikovsky spent a great deal of time with the Davydov family on their estates at Kamenka and Verbovka, where many of his works were composed.

Aleksandra Davydova died on 28 March/9 April 1891 at Kamenka, following a long period of ill health. She was buried next to her daughter Tatyana in the cemetery at the Aleksandr Nevsky Monastery in Saint Petersburg, although neither grave site has survived.

Dedications

In 1870, Tchaikovsky dedicated his Valse-Scherzo for piano, Op. 7, "to Aleksandra Ilinichna Davydova".

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

78 letters from Tchaikovsky to his sister Aleksandra have survived, dating from 1861 to 1879, all of which have been translated into English on this website:

54 letters from Aleksandra Davydova to the composer, dating from 1866 to 1889, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (a4, Nos. 791, 836–887, and 3582) [1].

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Including one letter from 1866 written jointly by Aleksandra and her husband Lev, and another from 1891 written by Aleksandra and Natalya Plesskaya.