The Maid of Orleans and Letter 405: Difference between pages

Tchaikovsky Research
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'''''The Maid of Orleans''''' (Орлеанская дева), in 4 acts and 6 scenes ([[TH]] 6 ; [[ČW]] 6), is Tchaikovsky's sixth completed opera, based on the historical legend of Joan of Arc. It was composed between December 1878 and March 1879, and orchestrated between April and August 1879, with revisions in December 1880, and September-October 1882.
{{letterhead
|Date=19 June/1 July 1875
|To=[[Aleksey Sofronov]] and [[Mikhail Sofronov]]
|Place=[[Usovo]]  
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}} (a{{sup|3}}, No. 391)
|Publication={{bib|1959/50|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том V}} (1959), p. 406–407
}}
==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{right|''Усово''<br/>19 нюня 1875 г[ода]}}
{{centre|Милые мои Миша и Лёничка!}}
Очень благодарен Вам за Ваше письмо. Я уже более трёх недель нахожусь теперь в Усове и провожу время тихо и приятно. Кроме меня здесь живёт теперь Князь Василий Голицын, и мы не скучаем. Я обливаюсь каждое утро колодезной водой. Лёня, здесь выстроили теперь отличную баню рядом с конюшнями, и вчера мы в ней парились. Я сплю в той же комнате и очень тоскую, что со мной нет, как в прошлом году, моего милого Лени, об котором я постоянно думаю. Я сочиняю теперь новую симфонию, но занимаюсь понемножку, не сижу по целым часам, а больше гуляю. Погода здесь очень хорошая и сухая. Николай Львович мне писал три раза. Здесь ничего не переменилось, даже собачки все те же самые, и, они все бегают со мной гулять. Только повар теперь новый и очень хороший. У барышень ''Крамаревцевых'' бываем, на не очень часто; но зато часто ездим к соседям ''Извольским''.


==Instrumentation==
Жду от Вас писем; пишите мне к Николаю Дмитриевичу, у которого я буду через полторы недели, а потом к сестре. Адресуйте письма так: ''Киевской губернии, Черкасского уезда, в местечко Смелу, а оттуда в Вербовку. Петру Ильичу Чайковскому''.
The opera is scored for solo voices, mixed chorus, and an orchestra comprising 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (in A, B-flat, C), 2 bassoons + 4 horns (in D, E-flat, E, F), 2 cornets (in A, B-flat), 2 trumpets (in A, D, E-flat, E, F), 3 trombones, tuba + 3 timpani, triangle, tambourine, military drum, cymbals, bass drum, tam-tam, bell (in C) + organ + harp, violins I, violins II, violas, cellos, and double basses. On-stage/off-stage: 4 trumpets (in A, C, E), 4 trombones, military drum, which also form a military band (or could be a part of a larger military band).


There are twelve singing roles:
Целую тебя, Миша, и тебя, голубчика Леньку. Миша, кланяйся твоей жене Ольге Николаевне, матери и сестре. Я Вам ещё буду писать из Низов и потом из Вербовки.
* ''Joan of Arc'' (Иоанна д'Арк) — soprano or mezzo-soprano
* ''King Charles VII'' (Король Карл VII) — tenor
* ''Agnes Sorel'' (Агнесса Сорель) — soprano
* ''Dunois'' (Дюнуа) — baritone
* ''Lionel'' (Лионель) — baritone
* ''Cardinal'' (Кардинал) — bass
* ''Raimond'' (Раймонд) — tenor
* ''Thibaut d'Arc'' (Тибо д'Арк) — bass
* ''Bertrand'' (Бертран) — bass
* ''Soldier'' (Воин) — 2nd bass
* ''Lauret'' (Лоре) — 2nd bass
* ''Angel'' (Ангел) — soprano.


The role of the Cardinal was originally an Archbishop (Архиепископ), but this was changed before the premiere at the insistence of the censor.
Любящий Вас,
{{right|П. Чайковский}}
Вам обоим кланяются Владимир Степанович, Князь Голицын, Тит и Павел.


==Movements and Duration==
|Translated text={{right|''[[Usovo]]''<br/>19 June 1875}}
Tchaikovsky's original score contains an introduction and 23 individual numbers. The last two acts are each divided into two scenes. The titles of numbers in Russian (Cyrillic) are taken from the published score, with English translations added in bold type. Vocal incipits are given in the right-hand column, with transliterations below in italics. The numbering, titles and tempo are taken from the first edition of the full score (published in 1899).
{{centre|My dear [[Mikhail Sofronov|Misha]] and [[Aleksey Sofronov|Lyonichka]]!}}
I'm very grateful to you for your letter. I've already been at [[Usovo]] for more than three weeks, and am spending the time quietly and pleasantly. Besides me, Prince Vasily Golitsyn is residing here, and we're not bored. I shower myself with water from the well every morning. [[Lyonya]], they've built a splendid bathhouse next to the stables now, and yesterday we had a steam bath in it. I sleep in the same room, and I'm very sad that unlike last year I don't have my dear [[Lenya]], who I'm always thinking about. I'm now composing a new symphony, but working little by little, not sitting for hours at a time, and taking long walks. The weather here is very fine and dry. Nikolay Lvovich has written to me three times. Nothing here has changed — even the dogs are the same, and they all run along with me on my walks. Only the cook is new, and very good. The young ''Kramarevtsev''  ladies visit occasionally; but we often go round to the ''Izvolsky'' neighbours.


{|  class="wikitable"
I'm expecting your letters; write to me at [[Nikolay Kashkin|Nikolay Dmitiryevich]], where I'll be in a week and a half, and then to my sister's. Address your letters there to: ''[[Kiev]] province, Cherkassky district, hamlet of Smela, thence to [[Verbovka]]. To Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky''.
| colspan="3"|
| '''Introduction''' (Интродукция)<br/>Andante con moto—Allegro vivo
| 
|-
| width="8%" colspan="2" rowspan="11"|'''''Act I'''''
| width="8%"| No. 1
| width="43%"|'''Chorus of Maidens''' (Хор девушек)<br/>Moderato
| width="33%"|Пока на небе не погас<br/>''Poka na nebe ne pogas''
|-
| rowspan="2"|No. 2
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Moderato
| Не подуше мне песни ваши игры<br/>''Ne podushe mne pesni vashi igry''
|-
| '''Trio''' (Трио)<br/>Andante
| Пусть попрежнему свободно<br/>''Pust poprezhnemu svobodno''
|-
| No. 3
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Moderato
| Ответь же, Иоанна<br/>''Otvet zhe, Ioanna''
|-
| rowspan="2"|No. 4
| '''Chorus of People''' (Хор народа)<br/>Allegro vivo
| Вдали пожар<br/>''Vdali pozhar''
|-
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Moderato assai
| Боже! Помилуй короля и наш народ!<br/>''Bozhe! Pomniluy korolya i nash narod!''
|-
| No. 5
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Moderato assai
| О братья и друзья<br/>''O bratya i druzya''
|-
| No. 6
| '''Hymn''' (Гимн)<br/>Moderato assai quasi Andantino
| Царь вишних сил<br/>''Tsar vishnikh sil''
|-
| No. 7
| '''Joan&#39;s Aria''' (Ария Иоанны)<br/>Moderato assai—Andantino. Alla breve
| Да, час настал!<br/>''Da, chas nastal!''
|-
| rowspan="2"|No. 8
| '''Finale''' (Финал)<br/>Allegro moderato
| Но силы будут ли<br/>''No sily budut li''
|-
| '''Chorus of Angels''' (Хор ангелов)<br/>Moderato—Allegro moderato e maestoso
| Надеть должна ты латы боевые<br/>''Nadet dolzhna ty laty boyevye''
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="13"|'''''Act II'''''
| No. 9
| '''Entr&#39;acte''' (Антракт)<br/>Allegro molto vivace (Tre battute)
| 
|-
| No. 10
| '''Chorus of Minstrels''' (Хор менестрелей)<br/>Moderato
| Бегут года и дни бессменой чередою<br/>''Begut goda i dni bessmenoy cheredoyu''
|-
| No. 11a
| '''Gypsies&#39; Dance''' (Пляска цыган)<br/>Allegro vivace
| 
|-
| No. 11b
| '''Dance of the Pages and Dwarves''' (Танец пажей и карликов)<br/>Allegro moderato
| 
|-
| No. 11c
| '''Dance of the Clowns and Tumblers''' (Пляска шутов и скоморохов)<br/>Allegro molto
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"|No. 12
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Moderato
| Доволен вами я!<br/>''Dovolen vami ya!''
|-
| '''Duet''' (Дуэт)<br/>Andante
| О, молю, послешай: враг под Орлеаном<br/>''O, molyu, posleshay: vrag pod Orleanom''
|-
| rowspan="2"|No. 13
| '''Agnes&#39;s Arioso''' (Ариозо Агнессы)<br/>Andante
| Ужасная свершается судьба<br/>''Uzhasnaya svershayetsya sudba''
|-
| '''Duettino''' (Дуэттино)<br/>Lento con anima
| Ах, с тобой и бедствия<br/>''Akh, s toboy i bedstviya''
|-
| rowspan="2"|No. 14
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Allegro moderato
| Да здравствует<br/>''Da zdravstvuet''
|-
| '''Cardinal&#39;s Narrative''' (Рассказ Кардинала)<br/>Allegro moderato
| Государь, за нас всевышний<br/>''Gosudar, za nas vsevyshny''
|-
| No. 15
| '''Joan&#39;s Narrative''' (Рассказ Иоанны)<br/>Moderato assai quasi Andante—Moderato e semplice
| Ты ль, дивная?<br/>''Ty l, divnaya?''
|-
| No. 16
| '''Finale''' (Финал)<br/>Moderato assai maestoso quasi Andante
| Должно молчать перед глаголом неба<br/>''Dolzhno molchat pered glagolom neba''
|-
| rowspan="6"|'''''Act III'''''
| width="8%" rowspan="2"|Scene 1
| rowspan="2"|No. 17
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Allegro vivo
| Стой, стой, ты погиб!<br/>''Stoy, stoy, ty pogib!''
|-
| '''Duet''' (Дуэт)<br/>Allegro moderato
| О Боже мой, зачем<br/>''O Bozhe moy, zachem''
|-
| rowspan="4"|Scene 2
| No. 18
| '''March''' (Марш)<br/>Marcia. Allegro moderato
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"|No. 19
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Andante ma non troppo
| Воротимся, мой добрый Арк<br/>''Vorotimsya, moy dobry Ark''
|-
| '''Duettino''' (Дуэттино)<br/>Molto meno mosso
| О, не губи молю тебя<br/>''O, ne gubi molyu tebya''
|-
| No. 20
| '''Finale''' (Финал)<br/>Moderato—Allegro vivo
| Тебя, зиждителя, творца<br/>''Tebya, zizhditelya, tvortsa''
|-
| rowspan="5"|'''''Act IV'''''
| rowspan="4"|Scene 1
| rowspan="2"|No. 21
| '''Introduction''' (Интродукция)<br/>Andante non troppo quasi Moderato
| 
|-
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Andante non troppo quasi Moderato
| Как! Мне, мне любовию пылать?<br/>''Kak! Mne, mne lyuboviyu pylat?''
|-
| rowspan="2"|No. 22
| '''Duet''' (Дуэт)<br/>Andantino
| О, чудный, сладкий сон!<br/>''O, chudny, sladky son!''
|-
| '''Scene''' (Сцена)<br/>Moderato—Allegro vivace
| Мне небо истину вещало<br/>''Mne nebo istinu veshchalo''
|-
| Scene 2
| No. 23
| '''Final Scene''' (Финальная сцена)<br/>Moderato assai. Tempo di Marcia funebre
| Ведут! Ведут! Уж видно чародейку!<br/>''Vedut! Vedut! Uzh vidno charodeyku!''
|}
A complete performance of the opera lasts around 160 minutes.


==Libretto==
I kiss you, [[Mikhail Sofronov|Misha]], and you, golubchik [[Aleksey Sofronov|Lyonka]]. [[Mikhail Sofronov|Misha]], I bow to your wife Olga Nikolayevna, mother and sister. I'll still write to you from [[Nizy]] and then from [[Verbovka]].
The opera's libretto was compiled by Tchaikovsky, after [[Friedrich Schiller]]'s tragedy ''Die Jungfrau von Orleans'' (1801) in a Russian translation by [[Vasily Zhukovsky]], with additional material from Auguste Mermet's opera ''Jeanne d'Arc'' and Jules Barbier's drama of the same name <ref name="note1"/>.


During the summer of 1878 Tchaikovsky began to look for a subject for a new opera.
Your affectionate,
 
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
"Here I'm writing the ''Introduzione e Fuga''. Both of them will go to make up a ''suite'', which I want to do now in order to take a long break from symphonic music, and set about an opera. What shall it be? ''[[Romeo and Juliet (projected opera)|Romeo]]'' or ''[[Les Caprices de Marianne]]''?", Tchaikovsky wrote in the summer of 1878 <ref name="note2"/>.
[[Vladimir Shilovsky|Vladimir Stepanovich]], Prince Golitsyn, Tit and Pavel bow to you both.
 
}}
Many of the composer's statements dating from the summer and autumn of 1878 indicate his desire to find a plot for an opera that could inspire him. Ultimately a subject was found. On 21 November/3 December 1878 <ref name="note3"/>, Tchaikovsky writes to [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I am attracted by a new operatic subject, namely: ''The Maid of Orleans'' by [[Schiller]] [...] The idea of writing an opera based on this story came to me in [[Kamenka]] while I was leafing through [[Zhukovsky]], who has translated [[Schiller]]'s ''The Maid of Orleans''. It has wonderful potential for music [...] I was pondering the subject before my last visit to [[Saint Petersburg]], but now I am seriously interested" <ref name="note4"/>.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0405}}
 
Intending to write the libretto himself, Tchaikovsky embarked on studying the story. The composer did not restrict himself to [[Schiller]]'s drama only: he sought to incorporate a variety of historical and artistic sources <ref name="note5"/>. On 6/18 December 1878 he told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "For the moment I have only [[Schiller]]'s drama translated by [[Zhukovsky]]. Obviously the opera text cannot be based strictly on [[Schiller]]'s scenario. There are too many characters, too many minor episodes. It requires a reworking, not just an abridgement..." <ref name="note6"/>. "I want to burrow in catalogues and obtain a small collection of books on'' Jeanne d'Arc''" <ref name="note7"/>. "I'm thinking a very great deal about the libretto and can't yet make a definite plan. There's much that pleases me in [[Schiller]], but I must admit I'm disturbed by his disdain for historical accuracy" <ref name="note8"/>.
 
Tchaikovsky developed the libretto concurrently with the music. After completing the first Act, he described the scenario of the opera to  [[Nadezhda von Meck]] on 10/22 January 1879:
 
{{quote|''Act I''. Peasant girls decorate the magical oak of Domrémy with wreaths and sing a chorus. Joan, her father and her ''prétendu'' [fiancé] enter. Her father says it is no time to sing and rejoice, when France is dying. "In such burdensome times," he says, "a woman should have a steadfast protector", and he proposes Joan to marry her ''prétendu,'' who loves her very much. Joan keeps silent. He presses on. The fiancé asks him not to compel her. Trio. Finally Joan says that God has chosen another destiny for her. The old man is angry suspecting (as in ''[[Schiller]]'') that she might have entered into alliance with devilry. He casts reproaches and threats upon her. The glow of a fire is seen in the sky and sounds of alarm are heard. Peasants fleeing English soldiers appear with their wives and children, seeking refuge. One of them summarizes what has happened and the position in which France finds itself. Everyone believes they are destined to die. Joan makes a speech then, prophesying in ecstasy that Orleans is going to be free and France will be saved. Everyone is astonished and the chorus says that "''there are no more miracles in our times''". "There are miracles," she replies, "and one has just happened." ''Salisbury'' (the principal and most fearsome commander of the enemy) has been killed. No one dares to believe this. A ''warrior'' who struggled through the enemy's camp appears and confirms the news. An ensemble and a prayer. Everyone leaves. Joan is left alone. She decides that it is time to fulfil her calling. But she is suddenly filled with fear and anguish of parting with her homeland. The chorus of angels reaffirms her. She asks for this ''cup to pass from her.'' The angels inspire her with resolution and courage. She goes into her religious raptures again and makes the final decision.}}
 
{{quote|''Act II''. In the castle of Chinon at the King's court. The weak but good-natured King sits with his Agnès and is engaged in listening to minstrels singing. When they are finished he expresses his delight and orders for the singers to be fed and "''be given a golden chain each''". Dunois tells him there are not only no chains but no gold at all in the treasury. The King is upset. Agnès leaves to collect her jewellery and give it to the cause. Dunois tries to instil into the King his duty to lead the army and fight. The King is ready even to fight but he is in love with Agnès and it is hard for him to part with her. Dunois reminds him of his duty in a harsh tone. Duet. The King is filled with enthusiasm and decides "''to turn the court into a military camp''". At this point one of the knights (''Lebar le duc'') appears and says that the battle is lost, and he comes to die at the feet of his King and show him that it is no time for songs, and they all must die for their motherland. But the King, losing hope in any possible success, wants to flee beyond the [River] Loire. Dunois reproaches him and leaves. The King is alone and in sombre reverie. Agnès enters. She tries to hearten him. Mutual declaration of love. Suddenly Dunois, the Cardinal  and knights come running and tell him that a miracle has happened: a wondrous maid appeared and the battle was won. After that the enthusiastic cheers of folk are heard and Joan enters. In order to test her, the King seats Dunois instead of himself, but she is not fooled and addresses the real King. She then tells a story of her visions and how she was told that she is going to save France, ''but provided that earthly love would never touch her soul''. Everyone believes in her. An ensemble is sung and then there's a loud finale.}}
 
{{quote|'''Act III. Scene 1''. I still have not completely thought out this scene. Here she is to meet (according to [[Schiller]]) with Lionel or Montgomery (it does not really matter) and fall in love with him, as a result of which she will be unable to complete her destiny.}}
 
{{quote|''Scene 2''. The coronation in Rheims. March. The King publicly recognizes Joan's service and expresses belief in the power that is given to her from above. Her father appears then and says that she deceived everyone and that her powers come from hell, not from heaven, that she's a witch, etc. "If I am mistaken, let her publicly declare that she has an undoubtedly pure heart," he says. Everyone demands her to do so but she keeps silent, believing herself guilty. Three times the Cardinal asks her and three times lightning strikes when she does not answer. Everyone is dumbfounded and leaves. Joan is left alone. Lionel (or Montgomery), who changed alliances and pledged vows to the King out of his love, approaches her <ref name="note9"/> and expresses his desire to be with her always. She flees him.}}
 
{{quote|''Act IV. Scene 1'', Also not wholly thought out yet. It takes place in the woods. Lionel pursues Joan, who is fleeing him. He falls in love with her. When she curses him and dismisses him like her worst enemy, he turns her over to the English as an act of revenge.}}
 
{{quote|''Scene 2''. In [[Rouen]]. Joan is lead to the fire. Lionel dies at the foot of the scaffold, struck by lightning. Joan is at the pyre. People slowly begin to realize that she is wrongly accused and start to protest. The execution is quickened. She mounts the scaffold. She is crestfallen, but the chorus of angels support her. The first tongues of flame appear at the bottom. Everyone screams in horror, the curtain falls.}}
 
{{quote|This whole scene is set up nicely by ''Barbier'', and I am going to borrow it from him" <ref name="note10"/>.}}
 
On 20 January/1 February 1879, the composer sent [[Modest Tchaikovsky]] the scenario of the opera in its final version. The amendments mainly concerned the last two scenes. In the second version, Lionel does not betray Joan in the first scene of Act IV, but instead tries to protect her with his blade and dies at the hands of Englishmen.
 
===Synopsis===
The action takes place in France in the early 15th century.
 
{{quote|'''Act I'''. By a stream and a chapel in the village of Domremy, Joan's father, Thibaut, presses her to marry Raimond, but she refuses. Refugees enter, fleeing from the conquering English army. Joan prophesies the death of the English general, to the scepticism of the villagers, but her prophecy is confirmed by a soldier who has returned from Orleans. The voice of an angel tells Joan that she must lead France against her enemies. She bids farewell to her family and friends.}}
 
{{quote|'''Act II'''. In a hall in the Chinon castle, King Charles VII of France is being entertained by dancers and tumblers. The knight Dunois presses the King to take action about the English, but the King cannot bring himself to leave Agnes Sorel. A dying warrior, Lauret, arrives with news of another defeat. Just as all begin to despair, the Cardinal arrives, telling of how an unknown girl has guided the army to victory. Joan is brought in, and she impresses the court with her story of divine inspiration, whereupon the King names her as commander of the French army.}}
 
{{quote|'''Act III'''. Somewhere near the battlefield (Scene 1), Joan defeats Lionel, a knight from Burgundy who is fighting on the side of the English. She takes pity on him and spares his life. Unwillingly they fall in love. When Dunois appears, Lionel surrenders to him, and offers to fight for France. In the square before Rheims Cathedral (Scene 2), Thibaut interrupts the coronation ceremony to denounce Joan as an evil sorceress. When the Cardinal asks Joan whether she considers herself to be pure and holy, Joan feels guilty about her love for Lionel, and fails to defend herself. A violent storm breaks out, and the superstitious crowd interpret this as a sign from God that Joan is guilty. The King banishes her from the city.}}
 
{{quote|'''Act IV'''. Lionel finds Joan hiding in the forest (Scene 1), and they declare their love. An angel appears and warns Joan that she will be punished for succumbing to earthly love. English soldiers suddenly appear, and they kill Lionel and capture Joan. At a square in [[Rouen]] (Scene 2), Joan is tied to the stake, and the fire is lit <ref name="note11"/>. }}
 
==Composition==
At the same time as his work on the libretto, Tchaikovsky set about composing music for a scene, taken "right from [[Zhukovsky]]" <ref name="note12"/>. "It takes place in the King's court, starting from Joan's entrance" <ref name="note13"/> .
 
On 5/17 December 1878 the composer told [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "Today I've spent all morning and the all the time after lunch [...] ''on a new work''! With apprehension and anxiety, but without timidity, I set about an opera!" <ref name="note14"/>.
 
On 6/18 December he wrote to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]]: "The opera is begun!!! And rather successfully too. What a rich subject!" <ref name="note15"/>. On 9/21 December the scene he had begun composing was finished.
 
Tchaikovsky told [[Nadezhda von Meck]] about his work on 10/22 December: "Despite the fact that I finished the initial scene with great success, I still feel uneasy. This is always the way with me, when contemplating a large and captivating work. It is very hard to describe this condition. I want to keep writing and writing [...] Thoughts flood my head, leaving no room to each other, driving me to despair in the face of my human infirmity [...] I wish I could just finish all of it right now with a single stroke of my pen!" <ref name="note16"/>.
 
On 26 December 1878/7 January 1879: "The stock of materials I need for ''Jeanne d'Arc'' is ready. I'm glad to have obtained ''Michelet'''s book; it gives me much useful information. As for Mermet's opera, I found its scenario rather poor, but there are two or three effective scenes I might make use of. In the end I came to the conclusion that although [[Schiller]]'s tragedy does not coincide with historical truth, it surpasses all other artistic depictions of ''Joan'' in its depth of psychological realism" <ref name="note17"/>.
 
On 31 December 1878/12 January 1879: "Today I have already started and begun to write the chorus for the first act. The composing of this opera is going to be complicated by the fact that I do not have a finished libretto and did not even draw up a plan of the scenario. So far I have compiled a detailed program of the first act and am slowly writing the text, borrowing, of course, mostly from [[Zhukovsky]], but using other sources too, especially ''Barbier'', whose tragedy on "Joan's" story has many advantages. But either way, I have to write the words by myself, which does not come easily to me" <ref name="note18"/>.
 
On 1/13 January 1879: "The work is going well. A routine has evolved as follows [...] Compose the opera before dinner. After dinner take a long walk. After returning, I read and work on the ''libretto''. I've surrounded myself with plenty of sources and am writing the libretto, the plan for which is already developed; in the evening I prepare for myself a specific scene, or the text of a chorus or aria, for the next morning. This way I will be progressing with both the music and writing in parallel" <ref name="note19"/>.
 
On 2/14 January 1879: "The libretto is going to be very good: it's not entirely based on [[Schiller]]. I borrowed a lot from ''Mermet'' and ''Barbier'', and I came up with some things of my own. There are going to be very nice scenes. I will be writing carefully, but without haste" <ref name="note20"/>.
 
On 3/15 January 1879: "I worked very successfully on a scene from the first act of the opera, when the chorus of peasants appears, running from the pursuing Englishmen" <ref name="note21"/>.
 
On 4/16 January 1879: "I sat down to work. For some reason I made slow progress to start with, which then conversely grew very heated (Joan's arioso) and didn't notice how the time flew by..." <ref name="note22"/>.
 
On 5/17 January 1879: "I finished the big ensemble from the first act before the closing scene (Joan's solo, the chorus of angels)" <ref name="note23"/>.
 
On 7/19 January 1879: "I'm up to my neck in the opera. It has progressed so much that in a matter of three days I'm going to have finished the large first act. The work is going very easily..." <ref name="note24"/>.
 
On 9/21 January 1879: "''The first act is finished'' [...] Before supper I sat and sweated over the scene between the ''King and Dunois'', and fretted over rhymes" <ref name="note25"/>.
 
On 10/22 January 1879: "I'm writing the duet of ''Dunois'' with the ''King'' today... I dawdled over the second part of the text of King and Dunois' duet for three hours, but emerged victorious..." <ref name="note26"/>. On this day he told [[Nadezhda von Meck]] that "The first act is completely ready" <ref name="note27"/>.
 
On 11/23 January, Tchaikovsky reported: "I have finished the duet, of which I'm very proud, but the second half gave me some trouble. You know that I've already finished the first act. Now I have the smaller first half of the second act left to write (the second half I did in [[Florence]])..." <ref name="note28"/>.
 
At around this time, while working on the second act, Tchaikovsky took the decision to transfer the original final movement of his [[Suite No. 1]], entitled ''Dance of the Lilliputians'', to ''The Maid of Orleans'', where it became the ''Dance of the Clowns and Tumblers'' (Act II, No. 11c) <ref name="note28A"/>.
 
On 15/27 January: "I have completed two acts, and the remaining two are planned and thought out... Tomorrow I want to prepare some material for myself, meaning that I'm going to write the text of the third act's first scene (of fundamental importance)..." <ref name="note29"/>.
 
"If this opera won't be a ''masterpiece'' in general, it will be ''my masterpiece''! Its simplicity of style is absolute. The forms are uncluttered. In a word, this is going to be the most dramatic contrast to [[Vakula]]", Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]] on 17/29 January 1879 <ref name="note30"/>.
 
On 19/31 January: "I began the third act..." <ref name="note31"/>
 
On 20 January/1 February, the composer described the whole scenario of the opera in a letter to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]]: "If you don't like the scenario, then please hide the fact from me, because it is too late to change anything" <ref name="note32"/>.
 
On 23 January/4 February: "I have finished the first scene of the third act and will proceed to the first scene of the fourth one tomorrow... I have come to the conclusion that opera must be the sort of music that is the most accessible of all. Operatic style should relate to symphonic and chamber music, like decorative paintings to academic ones. Of course it does not follow from this that operatic music should be the most banal or most vulgar. No! It is not about the quality of thoughts but the style, the means of expression" <ref name="note33"/>.
 
On 29 January/10 February: "I'm very pleased with myself. I have the first and the second acts fully ready, as well as the first scenes of the third and the fourth acts, and the introduction is almost ready" <ref name="note34"/>.
 
On 31 January/12 February: "Today I wrote the text for the second scene of the third act, and also began working on the music for it" <ref name="note35"/>.
 
On 3/15 February: "I have written the grand coronation march which starts the second scene of the third act" <ref name="note36"/>.
 
On 6/18 February, Tchaikovsky went to [[Paris]] where he continued his work.
 
On 10/22 February, the composer worked on the septet from Act III, which, in his words, presented "big technical obstacles. The first part of the septet is already done. If I am not mistaken, it is good" <ref name="note37"/>. All through the following days he worked very intensively. According to the draft manuscript, the fourth act was finished on 17 February/1 March.
 
On 10/22 February he wrote: "All this time I have been pleasantly occupied with work, and successfully finished a big ensemble from the second scene of the second act" [''sic''] <ref name="note38"/> .
 
On 19 February/3 March: "If nothing interferes then the opera will be finished in a week. I have written it remarkably quickly. The whole secret is to work every day and carefully. In this matter I impose an iron will on myself, and when there is no particular desire to work I always force myself to overcome my disinclination and become carried away" <ref name="note39"/>.
 
On 21 February/5 March the composition of the opera was finished <ref name="note40"/>.
 
In his letter to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] of 24 February/8 March, the composer wrote: "First let me inform you that the ''opera is completed''. It happened three days ago and I myself did not expect that. You see, the last two days of my work I was in an extraordinarily favourable mood and the work progressed amazingly fast. The day before yesterday, yesterday and today I was engaged in reviewing and refining some details both in the opera and the [[Suite No. 1|suite]]. At this minute I have everything ready ''down to the smallest detail'', and only have to sit down, arm myself with a pen and start writing the full score" <ref name="note41"/> .
 
On 26 April/8 May 1879 Tchaikovsky reported from [[Kamenka]]: "I began the instrumentation of the opera today. It is a very large, but very pleasant task, not in the least onerous or demanding effort" <ref name="note42"/>. Then work was interrupted. On 3/15 May, Tchaikovsky left for [[Brailov]] and was distressed that he "did a foolish thing in not taking the score along" <ref name="note43"/>. Tchaikovsky's work on the full score resumed on 15/27 May when he returned to [[Kamenka]] <ref name="note44"/>. The work progressed fervently. By 29 May/10 June the first act was finished, and on 30 May/1 June he began Act II <ref name="note45"/>. By 16/28 June the score for the second act was completed <ref name="note46"/>. Due to Tchaikovsky's visit to his ill friend [[Nikolay Kondratyev]] at [[Nizy]], work was interrupted again. Tchaikovsky started the instrumentation of Act III again on 8/20 July, back in [[Kamenka]] <ref name="note47"/>. Over the course of a week he orchestrated "the whole of the very complicated first scene of the third act" <ref name="note48"/>, and on 15/27 July he proceeded to Act II. By late July/early August, Tchaikovsky was still working in [[Kamenka]] on the third act, finishing it there in August, hoping in [[Simaki]] "to do the whole fourth and last act" <ref name="note49"/>. Tchaikovsky actually orchestrated the fourth act in [[Simaki]] between 9/21 August and 21 August/2 September <ref name="note50"/>. At the end of the first scene of Act IV there is the author's note: "([[Simaki]], 15 Aug. 1879)" {{OS}}. At the end of the opera on the manuscript full score is the composer's date: "(Started in [[Florence]] on 23 November 1879. ''Finished'' in ''[[Simaki]] on 23 August 1879'')" {{OS}}.
 
However, in the process of preparing the opera for the stage it was slightly amended, as Tchaikovsky explained to [[Eduard Nápravník]] in a letter of 11/23 December 1880:
 
{{quote|Today I have sent you the full score (original) and a proof copy of the vocal-piano reduction containing my corrections. Might I trouble you to copy two significant changes I made in my score to the duplicate they have at the Directorate Office. I assume that you will probably find it convenient to have my manuscript to hand, and therefore I ask you to keep it as long as it pleases you. I have made the following changes:}}
{{quote|1) in the duet of the King and Dunois, in accordance with your suggestion, I deleted the allegro and instead slightly extended the previous phrase:}}
 
{{quote|2) In Act III I discarded the finale and the music around the time of the third thunderclap, and remodelled it:}}
 
{{quote|Here are important changes. In the case of the E-major episode in the duet from the last act, after a long and tormented hesitation I preferred (considering [[Kamenskaya]]'s voice) to disfigure the melody rather than to change its key. My sensibilities are vehemently opposed to the transposition of this passage. After all, [[Kamenskaya]] isn't the only singer, is she? We cannot, in my opinion, impose on Makarova to sing lower than it is written. If she is to sing the part, let her at least sing this passage as it is.}}
 
{{quote|Generally speaking I have made every possible change in Joan's part for [[Kamenskaya]], but I must tell you frankly that this was terribly difficult for me. It may very well be that I spent insufficient time reducing the number of high notes in her part. If so, then I ask you, dear friend, to make alterations yourself where you see fit. It will be easier for you than for me. For in the phrase we've talked about:}}
 
{{quote|I couldn't think of anything else to replace it and therefore I confined myself to correcting the mistake you've pointed out in your list and rearranged the notes so that they would not be so high. Here, as in the duet from the fourth act, I could not come up with anything new. I am too accustomed to familiar patterns of modulations and harmonies to be able to successfully replace unsuitable passages with something new. It is better to let the contour of the melody be disfigured, than the essence of the musical idea itself which conforms to the modulation and harmony that I'm used to.}}
 
{{quote|In ensemble of the third act I moved the B-major melody from Joan's part to Agnès's. All in all, I've done everything I can <ref name="note51"/>.}}
 
In 1880, when the opera was presented to the Directorate of the Imperial Theatres for performance, the censor would only permit its staging on condition that several alterations were made. Tchaikovsky wrote about this in a letter to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] from 18/30 September 1880: "I'm sending you a document from the Censorship department that director [[Kondratyev]] sent me along with the libretto they've censored. You'll see what strange corrections they've requested but I was obliged to comply. I've made slight alterations to the words, and had to make a cut in the final scene [...] I've heard you were going to visit [[Saint Petersburg]]. Could you be so kind as to petition the chief printing office to allow me to change the ''Archbishop'' not to a ''Pilgrim'' but to a ''Cardinal''; the ''Pilgrim'' makes no sense, and if there's a ''Cardinal'' in the opera ''La Juive'', then they must allow me to have one too" <ref name="note52"/>. In a letter of 14/26 October 1880, [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] sent Tchaikovsky the censor's permit, and in the second edition of the opera the Archbishop was replaced by the Cardinal <ref name="note53"/>.
 
According to his contemporaries, in the 1890s Tchaikovsky was going to revise the third and the fourth acts of the opera. In his recollections of Tchaikovsky, [[Vladimir Pogozhev]] mentions their discussion about alterations to ''The Maid of Orleans'' <ref name="note54"/>. Ultimately the composer had no time to carry out this intention. [[Modest Tchaikovsky]] recalled: "Just before his demise, on the day his deadly illness began, Pyotr Ilyich talked much to me of his wish to change the last scene, to make it correspond to [[Schiller]]; for this purpose he bought [[Zhukovsky]]'s complete works, but did not even have the opportunity to re-read the tragedy" <ref name="note55"/>.
 
==Arrangements==
The vocal-piano reduction was arranged by Tchaikovsky (Introduction and Act IV), [[Yury Messer]] (Acts I and II), and [[Iosif Kotek]] (Act III) <ref name="note56"/>.
 
Tchaikovsky's work was completed by 4/16 September 1879 <ref name="note57"/>, although at the same time he also corrected the vocal-piano reduction of the first act at the request of [[Yury Messer]], which required  a large number of corrections. On 4/16 September 1879, Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] <ref name="note58"/> from [[Saint Petersburg]] that he was sending him the full score and arrangements of Acts III and IV, and [[Yury Messer]]'s arrangement with his own corrections <ref name="note59"/>.
 
In September and October, while simultaneously proofreading other works, Tchaikovsky corrected the vocal-piano reduction of Act II made by [[Yury Messer]]. In early/mid-November the composer travelled abroad, where he remained until early/mid-March 1880, working on the composition of new works (the [[Piano Concerto No. 2]] and ''[[Italian Capriccio]]''). Only in May, while staying at [[Kamenka]], did he resume proofreading of the vocal-piano reductions, hurrying to have the score ready for [[Eduard Nápravník]] by 1/13 August. On 18/30 July the proofs were sent to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] <ref name="note60"/>.
 
==Performances==
The opera's opening night took place at the Mariinsky Theatre in [[Saint Petersburg]] at [[Eduard Nápravník]]'s benefit performance under his baton on 13/25 February 1881, with soloists including: [[Mariya Kamenskaya]] (''Joan''), Mikhail Vasilyev III (''King''), [[Wilhelmina Raab]] (''Agnes''), Fyodor Stravinsky (''Dunois''), [[Ippolit Pryanishnikov]] (''Lionel''), Vladimir Mayboroda (''Cardinal''), Fyodor Sokolov (''Raimond'') and Mikhail Koryakin (''Thibaut'') <ref name="note60A"/>.
 
In January 1882, the opera was withdrawn from the repertoire of the [[Saint Petersburg]] theatres. In September of the same year, the directorate approached Tchaikovsky with a request to transpose Joan's part for mezzo-soprano. Tchaikovsky had to return to work on the opera yet again <ref name="note61"/>. The alterations were made by 7/19 October 1882. "I've spent ten days confined to my desk over this exhausting task," the composer wrote on 8/20 October to [[Nadezhda von Meck]] <ref name="note62"/>. All the changes made were described by Tchaikovsky in a letter to [[Eduard Nápravník]] of 7/19 October 1882 <ref name="note63"/>: the key of the chorus of angels singing with Joan was changed, as well as the orchestration of the first act's finale, Joan's narrative in the second act was abridged, some key changes were made in the first and the second duets of Joan with Lionel due to the transpositions of vocal parts (mainly Joan's), and the music in the scene of Joan's capture was shortened. In the same letter Tchaikovsky asked that the duet of Thibaut and Raimond in the third act should be restored. [[Eduard Nápravník]] accepted all the changes except for the restoration of Thibaut and Raimond's duet <ref name="note64"/>.
 
In this form, the opera lasted one more season before being taken off the stages of the Imperial Theatres <ref name="note65"/>.  Tchaikovsky himself wrote about the short-lived and unfortunate stage presence of the opera in a letter to [[Ivan Vsevolozhsky]] of 25 November/7 December 1887: "This opera was staged before your time, and was poverty-stricken. This apart, in default of a soprano I had to entrust the main role to [[Kamenskaya]] and disfigure many passages in the opera with cuts and transpositions. [[Kamenskaya]] strained her voice with an unsuitable part, and the opera was taken off for a year. When you joined the directorate, the opera was revived and you asked for the setting to be improved. As a consequence I had to make new cuttings and new disfigurements to the original score, so that it was presented not at all in the form in which it was written and intended. In the meantime, looking through ''The Maid of Orleans'', I found it had the necessary ingredients for success, if the first edition were to be restored and a new, preferably beautiful setting were made" . The composer's wish was not fulfilled <ref name="note66"/>, and the opera was not resumed in its original version during his lifetime.
 
However, ''The Maid of Orleans'' was the first of Tchaikovsky's operas to be staged outside Russia. On 16/28 July 1882 the opera was staged at the Summer Theatre in [[Prague]], in a Czech translation by Václav Novotný. The conductor was [[Adolf Čech]], and the soloists: Irma Reichova (''Joan''), Václav Soukup (''King''), Helena Frommova (''Agnes''), F. Christal (''Dunois''), Josef Lev (''Lionel''), Adolf Kressing (''Raimond''), J. Chlumetsky (''Thibaut''), V. Mikolaš (''Bertrand''), V. Zapotocki (''Lauret'').
 
The complete opera was performed at the [[Tiflis]] Opera Theatre on 19/31 December 1886, in a production conducted by [[Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov]] <ref name="note66A"/>. The same conductor gave the [[Moscow]] premiere on 3/15 February 1899, with members of Savva Mamontov's Private Opera company, including Yelena Tsvetkova (''Joan''), Vasily Shkafer (''King'') and Pyotr Olyonin (''Dunois'') <ref name="note66B"/>.
 
Tchaikovsky conducted Joan's Aria (Act I, No. 7) at his concert at the [[Saint Petersburg]] Philharmonic Society on 5/17 November 1888 (soloist: [[Mariya Kamenskaya]]), and in [[Warsaw]] on 2/14 January 1892 (soloist: Nina Fride) <ref name="note66C"/>.
 
The first complete production of the opera in the United States was given at the Pioneer Theatre in Reno (Nevada) on 13 May 1976, in an English translation (as "Joan of Arc") by the Nevada Opera Company, conducted by Ted Puffer. A complete concert performance, in Russian, was given at Carnegie Hall in [[New York]] on 28 February 1990 by the Opera Orchestra of [[New York]], the Yale Russian Chorus and New York Choral Society, conducted by Eve Queler <ref name="note66D"/>. In Britain, the first complete production took place at the Collegiate Theatre in [[London]] on 22 February 1978, with Guy Woolfenden conducting the University College Opera <ref name="note66E"/>.
 
==Publication==
The vocal-piano reduction was ready for publication in August 1880 <ref name="note67"/>, but its distribution for sale was delayed at the insistence of Tchaikovsky himself <ref name="note68"/>. On 31 August/12 September the composer wrote to [[Nadezhda von Meck]]: "''The Maid of Orleans'' is completely ready for printing, but I don't want it to come out before the first performance" <ref name="note69"/>.
 
In January 1881, a two-handed arrangement for piano by [[Eduard Langer]] appeared for sale, and in April the vocal-piano reduction was finally published <ref name="note70"/>. In 1884 the vocal-piano reduction was published in a new version. Tchaikovsky wrote on 25 May/6 June 1881 to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] about the corrections that were supposed to appear in the second edition, sending the copy with his corrections at the same time:
 
{{quote|1st ''cut and correction'' — Act II, No. 12, between pages 166 and 173.}}
{{quote|2nd cut and correction. Act III, No. 20. Finale, pages 370–407. These are two significant changes that I wish to keep. Apart from these, bearing in mind the circumstances of the [[Saint Petersburg]]'s production, there were some cuts and re-ordering of parts made which were of only local significance.}}
{{quote|And so everything else is left as before. But if you are to make a second edition you need to correct some misprints at the same time and, according to the requests of the censor, change the Archbishop to a Cardinal [...] It's necessary on pages 449, 450, 451, 452 where I've put the two footnotes and signs. That way we'll satisfy the theatrical censor, and avoid the need to abridge the music I value there'' <ref name="note71"/>.}}
 
The full score of the opera was published by [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] in 1899 with a supplement containing all the changes made by Tchaikovsky <ref name="note72"/>.
 
The full score and vocal-piano reduction were published in volumes 5 (1964) and 37 (1946) respectively of the composer's ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'', edited by V. D. Vasilyev. They include the original versions of passages subsequently revised in later editions.
 
==Autographs==
The {{RUS-Mcm}} in [[Moscow]] holds the following manuscripts:
 
* Full score of the Introduction and Acts I and II {{TOW2|orleanskaya-deva-opera-v-4-h-deystviyah-6-ti-kartinah-introdukciya-deystviya-i-ii|(Ф. 88, No. 39a)}}.
* Full score of Acts III and IV {{TOW2|orleanskaya-deva-opera-v-4-h-deystviyah-6-ti-kartinah-deystviya-iii-iv|(Ф. 88, No. 39b)}}.
* Vocal-piano arrangement of the Introduction by the composer {{TOW2|orleanskaya-deva-opera-v-4-h-deystviyah-6-ti-kartinah-introdukciya|(Ф. 88, No. 40)}}.
* Vocal-piano arrangement of Acts I and II by [[Yury Messer]], with Tchaikovsky's annotations {{TOW2|orleanskaya-deva-opera-v-4-h-deystviyah-6-ti-kartinah-deystviya-i-ii-pomety-p-i-chaykovskogo-v-avtografe-yu-messera|(Ф. 88, No. 40a)}}.
* Vocal-piano arrangement of Act III by [[Iosif Kotek]], with Tchaikovsky's annotations {{TOW2|orleanskaya-deva-opera-v-4-h-deystviyah-6-ti-kartinah-deystvie-iii-pomety-p-i-chaykovskogo-v-avtografe-i-i-koteka|(Ф. 88, No. 40b)}}.
* Vocal-piano arrangement of Act IV by the composer {{TOW2|orleanskaya-deva-opera-v-4-h-deystviyah-6-ti-kartinah-deystvie-iv|(Ф. 88, No. 40b)}}.
* Vocal-piano arrangement, revised version of the aria and chorus (Act I, No. 8) for mezzo-soprano {{TOW2|orleanskaya-deva-opera-v-4-h-deystviyah-6-ti-kartinah-ariya-ioanny-i-hor-d-i-no-8-variant-dlya-mecco-soprano|(Ф. 88, No. 41)}}.
* Libretto for the whole opera {{TOW2|orleanskaya-deva-opera-v-4-h-deystviyah-6-ti-kartinah-libretto|(Ф. 88, No. 42)}}.
 
==Recordings==
{{reclink}}
 
==Dedication==
The opera was dedicated to [[Eduard Nápravník]] (1839–1916), chief conductor of the Imperial Theatres in [[Saint Petersburg]].
 
==Related Works==
Act II, No. 10. The Minstrels' Chorus (Act II, No. 10) includes the French song 'Mes belles amourettes', which Tchaikovsky also used as the ''Old French Song'' (No. 16) from the ''[[Children's Album]]'' (1878).
 
Act II, No. 11c. ''Dance of the Clowns and Tumblers'' was the original final movement of Tchaikovsky's [[Suite No. 1]] (1878-79), with the working title ''Dance of the Liliputians''.
 
==External Links==
* {{imslpscore|The_Maid_of_Orleans_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)|''The Maid of Orleans''}}
 
==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">Jules Barbier's drama ''Jeanne d'Arc'', in 5 acts, 7 scenes with music by [[Charles Gounod]] was first performed in [[Paris]] on 8 November 1873 {{NS}}. According to Félix Clément (1822–1885), this drama represented events with historical accuracy. Among the musical numbers, Clément highly rated the chorus of refugees, the soldiers' chorus, and the funeral march — see Félix Clément & Pierre Larousse, ''Dictionnaire des opéras (Dictionnaire lyrique)'' (1897 edition, revised by Arthur Pougin), p. 604. Auguste Mermet's opera ''Jeanne d'Arc'', in 4 acts, 6 scenes, was first performed in [[Paris]] on 5 April 1876 {{NS}}.</ref>
<ref name="note2">See [[Letter 900]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 21 August/2 September 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note3">The original gives an incorrect {{NS}} date of "2 December".</ref>
<ref name="note4">[[Letter 973]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 21 November/3 December 1878; see also [[Letter 966]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 13/25 November 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note5">See [[Letter 968]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 15/27 November 1878; [[Letter 976]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 23 November/5 December 1878; [[Letter 1016]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 11/23 December 1878; and [[Letter 1008]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 6/18 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note6">[[Letter 1007]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 6/18 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note7">See [[Letter 1007]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 6/18 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note8">[[Letter 1013]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 10/22 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note9">"This isn't too implausible because [[Schiller]], in accordance with history, has the Duke of Burgundy go over from the English to be on the King's side" — ''footnote by Tchaikovsky''.</ref>
<ref name="note10">[[Letter 1065]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note11">From {{bib|2002/22|The Tchaikovsky Handbook, vol. 1}} (2002), p. 47.</ref>
<ref name="note12">See [[Letter 1007]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 6/18 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note13">[[Letter 1013]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]],10/22 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note14">[[Letter 1005]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 5/17 December 1878. For more about the work on this scene, see [[Letter 1008]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 6/18 December [1878; [[Letter 1010]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 8/20 December 1878; and [[Letter 1011]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 8/20 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note15">[[Letter 1007]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 6/18 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note16">[[Letter 1012]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 December 1878; see also [[Letter 1013]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 10/22 December 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note17">[[Letter 1038]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 26 December 1878/7 January 1879; see also [[Letter 1035]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 22 December 1878/3 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note18">[[Letter 1049]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 31 December 1878/12 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note19">[[Letter 1050]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 1/13 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note20">[[Letter 1051]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 2/14 January 1879; see also [[Letter 1961]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 7/19 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note21">[[Letter 1057]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 4/16 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note22">[[Letter 1057]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 4/16 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note23">[[Letter 1059]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 6/18 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note24">[[Letter 1061]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 7/19 January 1879; see also [[Letter 1062]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 7/19–8/20 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note25">[[Letter 1064]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 9/21 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note26">[[Letter 1066]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 10/22–11/23 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note27">[[Letter 1065]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note28">[[Letter 1066]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 10/22–11/23 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note28A">Evidence for this substitution only came to light in 2009 when the autograph score of the original ''Dance of the Lilliputians'', bearing the date "Florence, 27 November 9 December 1878", was auctioned in [[London]] — see http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/tchaikovsky-pyotr-ilyich-1840-1893-autograph-music-manuscript-5210135-details.aspx and also [https://www.culture.ru/catalog/tchaikovsky/ru/item/article/syuita-no-1 Aleksandr Komarov's article] on the [https://www.culture.ru/catalog/tchaikovsky/ Tchaikovsky Open World website] (in Russian).</ref>
<ref name="note29">[[Letter 1070]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 15/27 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note30">[[Letter 1071]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 17/29 January 1879 (original wrongly dated 16/28 January); see also [[Letter 1069]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 14/26 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note31">[[Letter 1074]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 19/31 January 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note32">[[Letter 1077]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 20 January/1 February 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note33">[[Letter 1080]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 23 January/4 February 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note34">[[Letter 1088]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 29 January/10 February 1879; see also [[Letter 1089]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 30 January/11 February 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note35">[[Letter 1090]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 31 January/12 February 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note36">[[Letter 1092]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 3/15 February 1879 (original wrongly dated "2/15 February").</ref>
<ref name="note37">[[Letter 1103]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 February 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note38">[[Letter 1104]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 10/22–11/23 January 1879 — Tchaikovsky mistakenly wrote "second act" instead of "third act"; see also [[Letter 1103]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 10/22 February 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note39">[[Letter 1115]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 19 February/3 March–20 February/4 March 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note40">See [[Letter 1117]] to [[Lev Davydov]] and [[Letter 1118]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], both 22 February/6 March 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note41">[[Letter 1119]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 24 February/8 March 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note42">[[Letter 1164]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 26 April/8 May 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note43">[[Letter 1176]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 9/21 May 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note44">See [[Letter 1178]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 15/27 May 1879, and also [[Letter 1183]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 16/28 May 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note45">See [[Letter 1192]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 28 May/9 June 1879, and [[Letter 1193]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 29 May/10 June–30 May/11 June 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note46">See [[Letter 1207]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 15/27 June 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note47">See [[Letter 1228]], 9/21 July 1879, and [[Letter 1231]], 15/27 July 1879, to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]].</ref>
<ref name="note48">See [[Letter 1231]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 15/27 July 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note49">See [[Letter 1239]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 30 July/11 August–31 July/12 August 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note50">See [[Letter 1259]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 21 August/2 September 1879, and [[Letter 1244]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 8/20–9/21 August 1878.</ref>
<ref name="note51">[[Letter 1643]] to [[Eduard Nápravník]], 11/23 December 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note52">[[Letter 1596]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 18/30 September 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note53">[[Klin]] House-Museum Archive (ref. a{{sup|4}}, No. 6142).</ref>
<ref name="note54">[[Vladimir Pogozhev]], {{bib|1924/30|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковском}} (1924), p. 83–84.</ref>
<ref name="note55">{{bib|1902/25|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 3}} (1902), p. 310–311.</ref>
<ref name="note56">See Letters [[Letter 1217|1217]], [[Letter 1258|1258]] and [[Letter 1273|1273]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 27 June/9 July, 16/28–17/29 August, and 27 August/8 September–28 August/9 September 1879; also Letters [[Letter 1224|1224]] and [[Letter 1272|1272]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 4/16 July and 27 August/8 September 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note57">See [[Letter 1285]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 4/16 September 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note58">[[Letter 1285]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 4/16 September 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note59">Apparently on 31 August/12 September; see Letters [[Letter 1276|1276]] and [[Letter 1277|1277]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 29 August/10 September–31 August/12 September and 30 August/11 September 1879.</ref>
<ref name="note60">See [[Letter 1514]], 17/29 June 1880, and [[Letter 1540]], 18/30 July 1880, to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]].</ref>
<ref name="note60A">On 26 December 1880/7 January 1881, [[Eduard Nápravník]] had already conducted an unspecified "Arioso" from the opera at a Russian Opera concert in the Mariinsky Theatre. This was most probably Joan's Aria (Act I, No. 7).</ref>
<ref name="note61">See [[Letter 2125]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 3/15 October 1882; [[Letter 2130]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 8/20 October 1882; Letters [[Letter 2116|2116]] and [[Letter 2119|2119]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 22 September/4 October–24 September/6 October and 28 September/10 October–8/20 October 1882; and a letter from [[Mariya Kamenskaya]] to Tchaikovsky, 14/26 September 1882, naming the wanted changes — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.</ref>
<ref name="note62">[[Letter 2119]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 22 September/4 October–24 September/6 October 1882.</ref>
<ref name="note63">[[Letter 2126]] to [[Eduard Nápravník]], 7/19 October 1882.</ref>
<ref name="note64">See letter from [[Eduard Nápravník]] to Tchaikovsky, 17/29 October 1882 — {{RUS-KLč}} at [[Klin]].</ref>
<ref name="note65">The opera was performed in its original form on the stages of private theatres. Its premiere on the Soviet stage was in 1942 in [[Saratov]] (with Joan as a soprano), then in 1945 in [[Leningrad]] on the stage of the State Academic Opera and Ballet (Mariinsky) Theatre, with Joan as a mezzo-soprano.</ref>
<ref name="note66">[[Letter 3148]] to [[Ivan Vsevolozhsky]], 25 November/6 December 1887.</ref>
<ref name="note66A">[[Ippolitov-Ivanov]]'s wife, [[Varvara Zarudnaya]], had performed Joan's Aria (Act I, No. 7) at the 3rd Russian Musical Society concert in [[Tiflis]] on 5/17 December 1882.</ref>
<ref name="note66B">The Hymn (Act I, No. 6) had already been heard in [[Moscow]] at the 4th Arts and Industry Exhibition concert on 6/18 June 1882, with chorus and orchestra of students from the [[Moscow]] Conservatory, conducted by [[Ippolit Altani]]. Mariya Korovina had also performed Joan's Aria (Act I, No. 7) at the 10th Russian Musical Society symphony concert in the city on 8/20 February 1886, conducted by [[Max Erdmannsdörfer]].</ref>
<ref name="note66C">Two further performances of extracts took place in [[Kiev]] during the composer's lifetime: The Chorus of Maidens (Act I, No. 1) was heard at a choral concert of the Russian Musical Society on 14/26 December 1882, and Joan's Aria (Act I, No. 7) was heard at the 2nd RMS symphony concert on 2/14 March 1885.</ref>
<ref name="note66D">Joan's Aria (Act I, No. 7), the ballet music (Act II, No. 11), and the Finale and Chorus of Angels from Act I (No. 8) had been given their American premiere at a New York Symphony Society concert at Carnegie Hall on 7/20 November 1910, with Sara Anderson as Joan, conducted by [[Walter Damrosch]].</ref>
<ref name="note66E">On 22 August/3 September 1902, Henry Wood had conducted Luisa Sobrino in Joan's Aria (Act I, No. 7) in a promenade concert at the Queen's Hall in [[London]], which was the first of many concert performances of this extract.</ref>
<ref name="note67">Passed by the censor on 16/28 August 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note68">See [[Letter 1514]], 17/29 June 1880, and [[Letter 1572]], 29 August/10 September 1880, to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]].</ref>
<ref name="note69">[[Letter 1571]] to [[Nadezhda von Meck]], 26 August/7 September–31 August/10 September 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note70">Passed by the censor on 16/28 August 1880.</ref>
<ref name="note71">[[Letter 1767]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 25 May/6 June 1881.</ref>
<ref name="note72">Passed by the censor on 16/28 January 1899. The vocal-piano reduction was reprinted the same year, retaining the same plate numbers used for the edition of 1880; the censor's date for this vocal-piano reduction is also 16/28 January 1899.</ref>
</references>
[[Category:Operas|Maid of Orleans]]

Revision as of 13:04, 11 March 2024

Date 19 June/1 July 1875
Addressed to Aleksey Sofronov and Mikhail Sofronov
Where written Usovo
Language Russian
Autograph Location Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve (a3, No. 391)
Publication П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том V (1959), p. 406–407

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original) 		English translation
By Brett Langston
Усово
19 нюня 1875 г[ода]

Милые мои Миша и Лёничка!

Очень благодарен Вам за Ваше письмо. Я уже более трёх недель нахожусь теперь в Усове и провожу время тихо и приятно. Кроме меня здесь живёт теперь Князь Василий Голицын, и мы не скучаем. Я обливаюсь каждое утро колодезной водой. Лёня, здесь выстроили теперь отличную баню рядом с конюшнями, и вчера мы в ней парились. Я сплю в той же комнате и очень тоскую, что со мной нет, как в прошлом году, моего милого Лени, об котором я постоянно думаю. Я сочиняю теперь новую симфонию, но занимаюсь понемножку, не сижу по целым часам, а больше гуляю. Погода здесь очень хорошая и сухая. Николай Львович мне писал три раза. Здесь ничего не переменилось, даже собачки все те же самые, и, они все бегают со мной гулять. Только повар теперь новый и очень хороший. У барышень Крамаревцевых бываем, на не очень часто; но зато часто ездим к соседям Извольским.

Жду от Вас писем; пишите мне к Николаю Дмитриевичу, у которого я буду через полторы недели, а потом к сестре. Адресуйте письма так: Киевской губернии, Черкасского уезда, в местечко Смелу, а оттуда в Вербовку. Петру Ильичу Чайковскому.

Целую тебя, Миша, и тебя, голубчика Леньку. Миша, кланяйся твоей жене Ольге Николаевне, матери и сестре. Я Вам ещё буду писать из Низов и потом из Вербовки.

Любящий Вас,

П. Чайковский

Вам обоим кланяются Владимир Степанович, Князь Голицын, Тит и Павел.

Usovo
19 June 1875

My dear Misha and Lyonichka!

I'm very grateful to you for your letter. I've already been at Usovo for more than three weeks, and am spending the time quietly and pleasantly. Besides me, Prince Vasily Golitsyn is residing here, and we're not bored. I shower myself with water from the well every morning. Lyonya, they've built a splendid bathhouse next to the stables now, and yesterday we had a steam bath in it. I sleep in the same room, and I'm very sad that unlike last year I don't have my dear Lenya, who I'm always thinking about. I'm now composing a new symphony, but working little by little, not sitting for hours at a time, and taking long walks. The weather here is very fine and dry. Nikolay Lvovich has written to me three times. Nothing here has changed — even the dogs are the same, and they all run along with me on my walks. Only the cook is new, and very good. The young Kramarevtsev ladies visit occasionally; but we often go round to the Izvolsky neighbours.

I'm expecting your letters; write to me at Nikolay Dmitiryevich, where I'll be in a week and a half, and then to my sister's. Address your letters there to: Kiev province, Cherkassky district, hamlet of Smela, thence to Verbovka. To Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

I kiss you, Misha, and you, golubchik Lyonka. Misha, I bow to your wife Olga Nikolayevna, mother and sister. I'll still write to you from Nizy and then from Verbovka.

Your affectionate,

P. Tchaikovsky

Vladimir Stepanovich, Prince Golitsyn, Tit and Pavel bow to you both.

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