Letter 103 and Letter 3979: Difference between pages

Tchaikovsky Research
(Difference between pages)
m (1 revision imported)
 
m (1 revision imported)
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{letterhead  
{{letterhead
|Date=by 20 September/2 October 1867
|Date=4/16 December 1889 <ref name="note1"/>
|To=[[Aleksandr Ostrovsky]]  
|To=[[Olga Nápravník (daughter)|Olga Nápravník]] and [[Varvara Nápravník]]
|Place=[[Moscow]]  
|Place=[[Saint Petersburg]]
|Language=Russian  
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Moscow]]: {{RUS-Mt}} (Ostrovsky collection)
|Autograph=[[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}} (a{{sup|3}}, No. 2990)
|Publication={{bibx|1937/43| А. Н. Островский и русские композиторы. Письма}} (1937), p. 160 (" before 28 September 1867")<ref name="note1"/><br/>{{bib|1959/50|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том V}} (1959), p. 122. }}
|Publication={{bib|1976/64|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том XV–А}} (1976), p. 215
 
}}
==Text and Translation==
==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{centre|Добрейший Александр Николаевич!}}
|Original text={{right|4 декабря}}
Знаю, что Вы заняты, знаю, что Вам надоел наш брат композитор, — и тем не менее решаюсь обеспокоить Вас своею просьбою. Ради всего святого, — найдите свободную минутку для меня и окончите обещанное. Я убиваюсь без недостающих мне сцен 2-го действия.
Милые барышни Ольга Эдуардовна и Варвара Эдуардовна!


Ехать к Вам не решаюсь, боюсь своим посещением отнять у Вас хотя бы частичку времени. Когда дело будет кончено, потрудитесь дать мне знать.  
По случаю дня рождения первой из Вас, бывшего вчера, и тезоименитства второй — позволяю Вам преподнести сии фрукты.
 
Душевно преданный Вам,
{{right|П. Чайковский}}
{{right|П. Чайковский}}


|Translated text={{centre|Most kind [[Aleksandr Nikolayevich]]!}}
|Translated text={{right|4 December}}
I know that you are busy, I know that you must be fed up with the likes of us composers <ref name="note2"/>, and yet I have nevertheless resolved to trouble you with my request. For the sake of all that's holy — find a spare moment and finish off what you promised me. I am quite forlorn without the missing scenes from the second act <ref name="note3"/>.
Dear Misses [[Olga Nápravník (daughter)|Olga Eduardovna]] and [[Varvara Nápravník|Varvara Eduardovna]]!
 
I cannot make my mind up to call on you as I am afraid lest my visit should rob you of even just a tiny speck of your time. When you have completed your job, be so kind as to let me know.


Your wholeheartedly devoted,
On the occasion of the birthday of the first of you, which occurred yesterday, and the name-day of the second — allow me to present you with the fruits herewith.
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
}}
}}
==Notes and References==
==Notes and References==
<references>
<references>
<ref name="note1">The musicologist [[Sergey Popov]] suggested the above date for this letter (which bears no date or year) on the following grounds: "(a) Tchaikovsky says in it that he doesn't have the libretto of the last scenes of Act II of ''[[The Voyevoda (opera)|The Voyevoda]]'', which he had started composing in early/mid August 1867 after returning to [[Moscow]] from [[Hapsal]]; (b) Tchaikovsky received a portion of the libretto, "half of one old act" [i.e. the libretto for Act I which he had lost in late April/early May], from [[Ostrovsky]] when he called on the playwright on 31 August/12 September 1867 (see [[Letter 102]] to [[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]], 31 August/12 September 1867); (c) on 28 September/10 October 1867 Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Anatoly]]: "The opera is gradually taking shape; [[Ostrovsky]] has gone to [[Petersburg]] for a while; when he comes back from there I shall pounce on him" ([[Letter 104]]). Tchaikovsky could only have been able to continue working on his opera if he had received part of the libretto of Act II, which means that he must received this before [[Ostrovsky]]'s departure. From this it follows that before 28 September/10 October 1867 [[Ostrovsky]] provided Tchaikovsky with the libretto of scene 1 of Act II, since we know that the playwright wrote only "the first act and the first scene of the second act" himself (see [[Letter 2148]] to [[Sergey Taneyev]], 29 October/10 November 1882)". Quoted from {{bib|1937/43| А. Н. Островский и русские композиторы. Письма}} (1937), p. 161.</ref>
<ref name="note1">Dated to 1889 by the editors of {{bib|1976/64|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том XV–А}} (1976) on the basis of Tchaikovsky's evolving relationship with the Nápravník family, and the fact that he was present in [[Saint Petersburg]] at that time.</ref>
<ref name="note2">Tchaikovsky knew that [[Ostrovsky]] had previously adapted his tragedy ''The Storm'' into a libretto for the composer [[Vladimir Kashperov]], and that at the same time as writing the libretto for ''[[The Voyevoda (opera)|The Voyevoda]]'' he was working on the libretto for [[Aleksandr Serov]]'s opera ''The Power of Evil'' — note by [[Sergey Popov]] in {{bib|1937/43| А. Н. Островский и русские композиторы. Письма}} (1937), p. 160.</ref>
<ref name="note3">After his meeting with [[Ostrovsky]] on 31 August/12 September 1867 it seems that Tchaikovsky had abandoned his "new plan for the second act" of which he had informed the playwright during his stay at [[Hapsal]] that summer (see [[Letter 99]] to [[Ostrovsky]], 10/22 June 1867), and Act II was to consist of two scenes as before — note by [[Sergey Popov]] in {{bib|1937/43| А. Н. Островский и русские композиторы. Письма}} (1937), p. 160-161.</ref>
</references>
</references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0103}}

Latest revision as of 22:31, 14 July 2022

Date 4/16 December 1889 [1]
Addressed to Olga Nápravník and Varvara Nápravník
Where written Saint Petersburg
Language Russian
Autograph Location Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve (a3, No. 2990)
Publication П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XV-А (1976), p. 215

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original) 		English translation
By Brett Langston
4 декабря

Милые барышни Ольга Эдуардовна и Варвара Эдуардовна!

По случаю дня рождения первой из Вас, бывшего вчера, и тезоименитства второй — позволяю Вам преподнести сии фрукты.

П. Чайковский
4 December

Dear Misses Olga Eduardovna and Varvara Eduardovna!

On the occasion of the birthday of the first of you, which occurred yesterday, and the name-day of the second — allow me to present you with the fruits herewith.

P. Tchaikovsky

Notes and References

  1. ↑ Dated to 1889 by the editors of П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XV-А (1976) on the basis of Tchaikovsky's evolving relationship with the Nápravník family, and the fact that he was present in Saint Petersburg at that time.
Retrieved from ‘https://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/index.php?title=Letter_103&oldid=55784’