Letter 3581a and Letter 2013: Difference between pages

Tchaikovsky Research
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{{letterhead  
{{letterhead  
|Date=30 May/11 June 1888
|Date=4/16 May 1882
|To=[[Léonce Détroyat]]  
|To=[[Adolph Brodsky]]  
|Place=[[Frolovskoye]]  
|Place=[[Kamenka]]  
|Language=French
|Language=Russian
|Autograph={{locunknown}} <ref name="note1"/>
|Autograph=Manchester (England): {{GB-Mcm}}  
|Publication={{bib|2011/14|Tchaikovsky Research Bulletin No. 2}} (April 2011), p. 23-25 (with English translation, p. 25-27)<br/>{{bibx|2013/36|Чайковский. Новые материалы к творческой биографии}} (2013), p. 352-354 (with Russian translation, p. 354-358)
|Publication={{bib|1901/24|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 2}} (1901), p. 531–532 (abridged)<br/>{{bib|1966/43|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том XI}} (1966), p. 112–113<br/>{{bib|2006/51}} (2006), p. 114–115
|Notes=
}}
}}


==Text and Translation==
==Text and Translation==
{{Lettertext
{{Lettertext
|Language=French
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Original text={{right|''Каменка'', 4 мая 1882}}
{{centre|Дорогой друг<br/>Адольф Давидович!}}
Весьма и весьма обрадовало меня письмо Ваше, полученное сегодня. Радуюсь несказанно Вашему и моему успеху и разразился бы опять в благодарностях, если б Вы в предыдущем письме Вашем не просили меня от них воздерживаться. Потрудитесь, пожалуйста, передать от меня мою благодарность Рихтеру за двукратное и столь успешное дирижирование концертом. Как мне нравится, что Вы в Лондоне завоевали себе достойное Вашего таланта положение. Желательно, чтобы успехи Ваши шли всё ''crescendo'', и чтобы когда-нибудь Вы возвратились в Россию с громким авторитетным именем и украсили бы им и собою нашу бедную и всё-таки милую Московскую консерваторию. Быть может, и я когда-нибудь, утомлённый кочевой жизнью, возвращусь на старое пепелище и вместе с Вами будем работать для поддержки дела, основанного Ник[олаем] Григ[орьевичем].


|Original text={{right|''Kline près Moscou''<br/>30 Juin/11 Juillet 1888}}
Про себя скажу Вам, что не могу достаточно выразить Вам всё удовольствие, испытываемое мною здесь, в деревне, после месяца, проведённого в Москве, где я испытал много ненавистной для меня суеты и много мучительно-тоскливых чувств, причиняемых сознанием ''невозвратности прошлого''. Вы гораздо моложе меня и ещё, вероятно, мало знакомы с этим болезненным чувством. Чем старше становишься, тем живее, сильнее и чаще врывается оно в жизнь и отравляет её. Здесь, да ещё в моём римском уединении, моё нравственное благосостояние сильнее, чем где-либо. Собираюсь писать оперу; надеюсь, что дело пойдёт хорошо; по крайней мере, расположение к писанию есть и, если ничто не помешает, должно быть, хорошо буду работать.  
{{centre|Cher et très respecté Monsieur!}}
Que Vous {{sic|ètes|êtes}} bon! Combien je suis touché par le ton si bienveillant, si amical de Votre lettre! Non seulement Vous ne m'en voulez pas, comme je le craignais un peu (car la susceptibilité des auteurs quelque supérieurs qu'{{sic|il|ils}} soient est bien grande), mais Vous poussez Votre bonté jusqu'à vouloir {{sic|persèverer|persévérer}} dans l'intention de collaborer avec moi. Merci, cher Monsieur! Et je commencerai par affirmer ce que Vous aviez {{sic|deja|déjà}} présumé. Effectivement, le sujet de ''Juan Padilla'' est trop {{sic|revolutionnaire|révolutionnaire}} pour la Russie. Et d'ailleurs, je Vous avouerai que [je] suis peu porté pour des sujets de ce genre. C'est trop tragique, trop compliqué, trop ''grand opéra''! Je voudrais quelque chose de très {{sic|poètique|poétique}} et en {{sic|mème|même}} temps de très simple, très intime et ''humain''! Quelque chose qui ait le don de remuer profondément tous les cœurs, mais non éblouir les yeux par un spectacle grandement et richement monté! Et puisque Vous m'autorisez à trouver un sujet, [je me] permettrai d'en {{sic|soummettre|soumettre}} plusieurs à Votre jugement. Je n'ai jamais pu comprendre pourquoi aucun compositeur français ne s'est jamais inspiré par les ''Comédies d'Alfred Musset'' (si ce n'est pas la ''Carmosine'' cependant)? Quant à moi je ne trouve rien de plus délicieusement {{sic|poetique|poétique}} et de touchant que ''Les Caprices de Marianne'', ou bien ''le Chandelier''. On dit que ces chefs-d'œuvre ne sont pas assez {{sic|scèniques|scéniques}}. {{sic|Peut ètre|Peut-être}}! Mais des connoisseurs aussi profonds et aussi habiles que Vous et M[onsieu]r ''Gallet'', ne pourriez Vous pas adapter à la scène et aux exigences d'un scénario d'{{sic|opera|opéra}} les données de ces magnifiques et puissantes œuvres d'un poète, que je considère comme l'un des plus grands qui aient jamais existé? Je {{sic|prefererais|préférerais}} surtout ''Les Caprices de Marianne'' et souvent j'ai songé à en faire un {{sic|opera|opéra}} russe. Mais la langue russe (très belle et très riche) ne se {{sic|prète|prête}} pas assez dans sa duresse et sa saveur tout soit peu barbare à ce genre de {{sic|poèsie|poésie}} trop exquise, trop subtile, trop délicieusement fine pour qu'une autre langue que la Votre, en rende tout le charme. Mon Dieu, que je me sens ''emballé'' quand je pense au bonheur de pouvoir mettre en musique quelque chose d'Alfred <Musset>; je Vous {{sic|ecris|écris}} ces lignes, les larmes aux yeux,–gage sûr de l'inspiration sincère et féconde. Je suis bien curieux d'apprendre ce que Vous pensez de mon idée.


Quant à des sujets russes, – je Vous dirai franchement que si j'en trouvais un, – c'est dans notre langue que je {{sic|désirerai|désirerais}} le libretto. Je me sens incapable de mettre en musique des personnages russes parlant français. Que l'on traduise mes {{sic|operas|opéras}} sur des sujets russes dans toutes les langues du monde, – je ne demande pas mieux et si par impossible une telle chance m'arrivait – je m'en réjouirais profondément, – mais de {{sic|la|là}} à pouvoir faire un {{sic|opera|opéra}} russe sur des paroles françaises ou italiennes il'y a bien loin.
До свидания, голубчик! Дай Вам Бог всякого рода удачи в делах Ваших. Как решён вопрос о Вашей поездке в Москву летом? Будете ли Вы там играть?


Les tragèdies d'Oseroff, dont Vous parlez, Monsieur, ont été faites dans un temps ou pour ainsi dire il n'y avait pas encore de littérature russe, ou la langue {{sic|litteraire|littéraire}} russe, n'était pas encore inventée. Cet homme avait beaucoup de talent, mais pas assez cependant pour {{sic|crèer|créer}} un genre national et trouver des voies nouvelles. Il ne savait qu'imiter avec beaucoup de savoir-faire Racine et Corneille, mais il n'y a rien au monde de plus hétérogène que les chefs-d'œuvre de ces grands <auteurs> tragiques et le génie {{sic|litteraire|littéraire}} russe. Aussi ses productions sont elles tombées dans l'oubli les plus profond et je me rendrais ridicule en Russie si j'évoquais les fantômes de ''Dmitry Donskoï'', de ''Xenia'' et autres personnages historiques russes qu'Oseroff avait déguisés en {{sic|hèros|héros}} grecs parlant une belle langue française traduits en mauvais russe. Vous ne sauriez croire, Monsieur, ne connaissant que la bonne traduction française, combien les tragédies d'Oseroff sont fausses, dépourvues de sincèrité et d'originalité et combien, malgré son talent d'imitation il est inférieur à Vos grands auteurs tragiques, qui avaient le talent d'{{sic|etre|être}} ''vrais'' malgré toutes les entraves des ''trois unités'' et autres exigences pseudo-classiques, et dont les personnages parlent en si beaux vers!
Искренно Вас любящий и уважающий,
{{right|П. Чайковский }}


Enfin, cher et très respecté Monsieur, puisque Vous {{sic|ètes|êtes}} aussi bon et condescendant pour moi, veuillez prendre en considération que je me sens capable de faire un bon {{sic|opera|opéra}} sur des paroles françaises ''seulement'' si le sujet n'est pas russe. Mon vœu le plus cher serait de pouvoir mettre en musique un poème d'opéra tiré d'une comédie d'Alfred Musset et adapté et mis en vers par M[onsieu]r Gallet et Vous.
|Translated text={{right|''[[Kamenka]]'', 4 May 1882}}
{{centre|Dear friend<br/>[[Adolph Davidovich]]!}}
Your letter, which I received today, has made me very, very happy <ref name="note1"/>. I am ineffably glad at your success, and mine, and I would again burst into expressions of gratitude, had you not asked me in your preceding letter to refrain from them <ref name="note2"/>. Please be so kind as to convey my gratitude to Richter for his reiterated and so successful conducting of the concerto. How I am pleased that you have earned yourself a status in [[London]] which is commensurate with your talent. I wish that your successes keep rising in ''crescendo'', and that some day you return to Russia with an acclaimed and authoritative reputation, with which, as well as with yourself, you can adorn our poor and yet dear [[Moscow]] Conservatory. Perhaps I too, worn out by my nomadic life, will some day return to my old home, and you and I can then work together to support the cause launched by [[Nikolay Grigoryevich]].  


Veuillez bien transmettre à M[onsieu]r Gallet l'expression de ma vive reconnaissance pour l'attention flatteuse qu'il veut bien me témoigner et croyez, cher et bon M[onsieu]r Détroyat[,] à mes sentiments les plus cordiaux pour Vous.
About myself I must say that I cannot describe to you sufficiently all the pleasure I am experiencing here in the countryside, after a month spent in [[Moscow]], where I went through a great deal of commotion, so loathsome to me, and also had many agonizing and melancholy feelings which were caused by my realizing the ''irrevocability of the past''. You are much younger than I am and you are probably not very familiar yet with that painful feeling. The older one becomes, the more keenly, intensely, and frequently this feeling irrupts into one's life and poisons it. Here, and also in my seclusion in [[Rome]], my moral well-being is sturdier than anywhere else. I am intending to write [[Mazepa|an opera]]. I hope that this project will go well—at any rate, I am in a mood for writing, and provided nothing intervenes I should be able to work well.


Votre bien dévoué serviteur,
Until we meet, golubchik! May God grant you every possible success in your work. What has been decided regarding your trip to [[Moscow]] this summer? Will you be playing there?<ref name="note3"/>
{{right|P. Tchaïkovsky}}
C'est avec l'impatience la plus vive que je vais attendre Votre réponse.


|Translated text={{right|''[[Klin]], near [[Moscow]]''<br/>30 June/11 July 1888 <ref name="note3"/> }}
Yours with sincere affection and respect,
{{centre|Dear and most respected Sir!}}
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky }}
How good you are! How touched I am by the so well-disposed and friendly tone of your letter! Not only are you not angry with me — something that I had been fearing a little (because authors, no matter how eminent they may be, are always highly susceptible) — but you drive your kindness so far as to wish to persevere in your intention of collaborating with me. Thank you, dear Monsieur! And I shall start by confirming what you had already supposed. The story of ''Juan Padilla'' is indeed too revolutionary for Russia. Besides, I must confess to you that I am but little inclined towards subjects of that kind. It is too tragic, too complicated, too much like ''grand opera''! I would like something very poetic and at the same time very simple, very intimate and ''human''! Something endowed with the ability to move everyone's hearts deeply, without dazzling one's eyes by a grandly and lavishly staged spectacle! And since you give me permission to look for a subject myself, I shall take the liberty of submitting several to your judgement. I have never been able to understand why no French composer has ever let himself be inspired by ''[[Alfred de Musset]]'s Comédies'' (with the exception possibly of ''Carmosine'')? As far as I am concerned, I cannot think of anything more deliciously poetic and touching than ''[[Les Caprices de Marianne]]'' or also ''Le Chandelier''. It is said that these masterpieces are not sufficiently effective for the stage. That may well be so! However, could such discerning and skilful connoisseurs as you and ''Monsieur [[Gallet]]'' not manage to adapt for the stage and with a view to the requirements of an operatic scenario the essential elements of these magnificent and powerful works by a poet whom I consider to be one of the greatest to have ever lived? I would prefer ''[[Les Caprices de Marianne]]'' above all, and I have often dreamed of making a Russian opera out of it. However, the Russian language (for all its great beauty and richness) does not, on account of its roughness and its ever so slightly barbaric flavour, lend itself sufficiently well to this genre of poetry, which is too exquisite, too subtle, too deliciously refined for it to be possible that any language other than yours could render all its charm. My Lord, how ''thrilled'' I feel when I think of the good fortune of being able to set to music something by [[Alfred de Musset]]. I am writing these lines to you with tears in my eyes — a sure pledge of sincere and fertile inspiration. I am very curious to find out what you think of my idea.
 
As for Russian subjects, I shall tell you frankly that if I were to find one, I would wish the libretto to be in our language. I feel incapable of setting to music Russian characters speaking in French. Let my operas on Russian subjects be translated into all the languages of the world – I could not ask for anything better, and if, contrary to all likelihood, such good fortune were to befall me, it would delight me profoundly, but from there to being able to write a Russian opera on a French or Italian text, it is a very long way indeed.
 
The tragedies by Ozerov which you mention, Monsieur, were written at a time when, so to speak, there was no Russian literature yet, when the Russian literary language had not yet been created. This man had a lot of talent, though not enough to enable him to create a national genre and to find new paths. All he knew was how to imitate, with a great deal of skill, Racine and Corneille, but there is nothing on earth more disparate than the masterpieces of those great tragic authors and the Russian literary genius. Moreover, his works have fallen into the deepest oblivion, and I would make myself a laughing-stock in Russia if I were to evoke the phantoms of ''Dmitry of the Don'', ''Kseniya'' and other Russian historical figures whom Ozerov dressed up as Greek heroes talking in beautiful French and subsequently translated into poor Russian. You cannot imagine, Monsieur, given that you are familiar only with a good French translation, how false Ozerov's tragedies are, how devoid of sincerity and originality, and how, in spite of his talent for imitation, he is so much inferior to your great tragic authors, who possessed the talent of being ''true'', all the fetters of the ''three unities'' and other pseudo-classical requirements notwithstanding, and whose characters utter such beautiful verses!
 
In short, dear and highly esteemed Monsieur, since you are so kind and generous towards me, could you please take into consideration that I feel capable of writing a good opera on a French text ''only'' if the subject is not Russian. My most cherished wish would be to be able to set to music an operatic libretto drawn from a comedy by [[Alfred de Musset]] and adapted and versified by Mr [[Gallet]] and you.
 
Could you please convey to Mr [[Gallet]] the assurance of my keen gratitude for the flattering attention which he is so kind as to bestow upon me, and I would ask you, dear and good Mr [[Détroyat]], to believe in the most cordial feelings which I have for you.
 
Your most devoted servant,
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
It is with the keenest impatience that I shall await your reply.
}}
}}


==Notes and References==
==Notes and References==
<references>
<references>
<ref name="note1">The autograph was auctioned in 1992 in [[Paris]] in 1992 — see ''Vente à Paris – Drouot-Richelieu. Mercredi 8 avril 1992, salle no. 7'' (Paris, 1992), where it appears as lot no. 130 (incorrectly dated 30 June/11 July 1888"). A photocopy of the original letter was kindly provided to us by Thierry Bodin, the manuscript expert consulted when the letter was auctioned.</ref>
<ref name="note1">In his letter to Tchaikovsky from [[London]] on 28 April/10 May 1882 [[Adolph Brodsky]] reported on his performance of the [[ Violin Concerto]] at a concert in the St. James's Hall conducted by Hans Richter two days earlier, on 26 April/8 May 1882.  "The day before yesterday," [[Brodsky]] wrote, "I had a huge success at the ''Richter concerts''. Applause broke out already at the first ''tutti''. After the first movement the audience applauded a very long time. At the very end I was called out twice. He who is familiar with the [[London]] public will understand that two curtain calls in [[London]] are equivalent to five calls in [[Moscow]]. The English don't give more than two curtain calls even to their darlings: [Joseph] Joachim and Clara Schumann. In Richter's opinion, and as it seemed to me too, I played better on this occasion than in [[Vienna]]. Everyone whom I have spoken to about your concerto liked it very much. The audience listened with the keenest attention. The original motifs of the final movement were evidently to people's liking... As soon as the reviews appear, I shall forward them to you—I hope they will be better than the Viennese ones". [[Brodsky]]'s letter has been published in {{bib|2006/51}} (2006), p. 113–114.</ref>
<ref name="note3">The date written by Tchaikovsky at the top of the letter — "30 Juin/11 Juillet 1888" — is obviously incorrect because there is not a difference of twelve days between the old style and new style dates he indicated. In contrast to other letters (mainly those written from Russia to foreign correspondents) in which he made a mistake in the date, here it is not the usual case of his having confused an OS date for a NS one, or vice versa — leading to one of the two dates at least being correct — but, rather, that he wrote the correct day of the month ("30") in the OS date, but the wrong month ("June"), leading to both the OS and NS dates being incorrect. The letter from [[Détroyat]] to which Tchaikovsky is replying here bears the date "Paris, 3 June 1888" (NS). When Tchaikovsky sat down to write his reply at [[Frolovskoye]] eight days later, on 30 May/11 June, he had "30 May" in his mind as the day of the month (according to the Russian calendar), but seeing "3 June" on his correspondent's letter in front of him caused him to make a slip of the pen and to write "30 June" as the OS date, though he was still proceeding from the assumption that the current month had 31 days when he calculated the (equally mistaken) NS date as "11 July". A glance at the contents of the other letters exchanged by Tchaikovsky and [[Détroyat]] in 1888 confirms that the correct date must be "30 May/11 June" — thus, Tchaikovsky in this letter proposes writing a French opera based on one of [[Musset]]'s plays, and it is this suggestion that [[Détroyat]] comments on in his letter to Tchaikovsky from Paris on 6/18 June when he explains that [[Musset]]'s sister had forbidden any adaptations of her late brother's works for the opera stage.</ref>
<ref name="note2">In an earlier letter from [[London]] on 24 April/6 May 1882 [[Brodsky]] had written: "I feel terribly embarrassed by your thanking me so much [in [[ letter 2008]]]. I do not deserve this in the least. Rather than you thanking me, I should thank God for allowing me to understand and love your music. As far as your concerto is concerned, it is a case of a service in return for a service. For if I am making it popular, it too is making me popular in turn, and here, in [[London]], I have simply had a lot of luck thanks to this concerto. Your name is very well-known here thanks to the [[Piano Concerto No. 1|Piano Concerto]] and songs which have been performed here by [[Bülow]] and [[Henschel]], and the new [[Violin Concerto]] has proved to be a tasty morsel for the local directors (concert entrepreneurs), who are constantly seeking to treat their audiences to something new ... Besides, your concerto gives me the opportunity to demonstrate in the best possible light the 'maximum' of my technical expertise, and apart from a host of musical merits, there is also precisely the fact that it seems far more difficult than it is in reality—that is, it is very rewarding and effective. Therefore, dear Pyotr Ilyich, I hope that your ['thank you'] 'again', 'again', and 'again' in your last letters have exhausted the stock of expressions of gratitude, and that you will not thank me again" This letter of [[Brodsky]]'s has also been published in {{bib|2006/51}} (2006), p. 112–113.</ref>
<ref name="note3">[[Brodsky]] had received an invitation from the Musical Committee of the All-Russian Arts and Industrial Exhibition in [[Moscow]] to perform at one of the concerts which were to be held under its auspices that summer. He accepted the invitation, and on 8/20 August 1882, as part of the Exhibition's sixth concert conducted by [[Ippolit Altani]], he would give the first performance in Russia of the [[Violin Concerto]]. Tchaikovsky was present, and after the performance of his concerto he was called out onto the podium several times.</ref>
</references>
</references>

Latest revision as of 12:48, 2 August 2022

Date 4/16 May 1882
Addressed to Adolph Brodsky
Where written Kamenka
Language Russian
Autograph Location Manchester (England): Royal Northern College of Music, The Library
Publication Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 2 (1901), p. 531–532 (abridged)
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XI (1966), p. 112–113
Воспоминания о русском доме (2006), p. 114–115

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original) 		English translation
By Luis Sundkvist
Каменка, 4 мая 1882

Дорогой друг
Адольф Давидович!

Весьма и весьма обрадовало меня письмо Ваше, полученное сегодня. Радуюсь несказанно Вашему и моему успеху и разразился бы опять в благодарностях, если б Вы в предыдущем письме Вашем не просили меня от них воздерживаться. Потрудитесь, пожалуйста, передать от меня мою благодарность Рихтеру за двукратное и столь успешное дирижирование концертом. Как мне нравится, что Вы в Лондоне завоевали себе достойное Вашего таланта положение. Желательно, чтобы успехи Ваши шли всё crescendo, и чтобы когда-нибудь Вы возвратились в Россию с громким авторитетным именем и украсили бы им и собою нашу бедную и всё-таки милую Московскую консерваторию. Быть может, и я когда-нибудь, утомлённый кочевой жизнью, возвращусь на старое пепелище и вместе с Вами будем работать для поддержки дела, основанного Ник[олаем] Григ[орьевичем].

Про себя скажу Вам, что не могу достаточно выразить Вам всё удовольствие, испытываемое мною здесь, в деревне, после месяца, проведённого в Москве, где я испытал много ненавистной для меня суеты и много мучительно-тоскливых чувств, причиняемых сознанием невозвратности прошлого. Вы гораздо моложе меня и ещё, вероятно, мало знакомы с этим болезненным чувством. Чем старше становишься, тем живее, сильнее и чаще врывается оно в жизнь и отравляет её. Здесь, да ещё в моём римском уединении, моё нравственное благосостояние сильнее, чем где-либо. Собираюсь писать оперу; надеюсь, что дело пойдёт хорошо; по крайней мере, расположение к писанию есть и, если ничто не помешает, должно быть, хорошо буду работать.

До свидания, голубчик! Дай Вам Бог всякого рода удачи в делах Ваших. Как решён вопрос о Вашей поездке в Москву летом? Будете ли Вы там играть?

Искренно Вас любящий и уважающий,

П. Чайковский

Kamenka, 4 May 1882

Dear friend
Adolph Davidovich!

Your letter, which I received today, has made me very, very happy [1]. I am ineffably glad at your success, and mine, and I would again burst into expressions of gratitude, had you not asked me in your preceding letter to refrain from them [2]. Please be so kind as to convey my gratitude to Richter for his reiterated and so successful conducting of the concerto. How I am pleased that you have earned yourself a status in London which is commensurate with your talent. I wish that your successes keep rising in crescendo, and that some day you return to Russia with an acclaimed and authoritative reputation, with which, as well as with yourself, you can adorn our poor and yet dear Moscow Conservatory. Perhaps I too, worn out by my nomadic life, will some day return to my old home, and you and I can then work together to support the cause launched by Nikolay Grigoryevich.

About myself I must say that I cannot describe to you sufficiently all the pleasure I am experiencing here in the countryside, after a month spent in Moscow, where I went through a great deal of commotion, so loathsome to me, and also had many agonizing and melancholy feelings which were caused by my realizing the irrevocability of the past. You are much younger than I am and you are probably not very familiar yet with that painful feeling. The older one becomes, the more keenly, intensely, and frequently this feeling irrupts into one's life and poisons it. Here, and also in my seclusion in Rome, my moral well-being is sturdier than anywhere else. I am intending to write an opera. I hope that this project will go well—at any rate, I am in a mood for writing, and provided nothing intervenes I should be able to work well.

Until we meet, golubchik! May God grant you every possible success in your work. What has been decided regarding your trip to Moscow this summer? Will you be playing there?[3]

Yours with sincere affection and respect,

P. Tchaikovsky

Notes and References

  1. ↑ In his letter to Tchaikovsky from London on 28 April/10 May 1882 Adolph Brodsky reported on his performance of the Violin Concerto at a concert in the St. James's Hall conducted by Hans Richter two days earlier, on 26 April/8 May 1882. "The day before yesterday," Brodsky wrote, "I had a huge success at the Richter concerts. Applause broke out already at the first tutti. After the first movement the audience applauded a very long time. At the very end I was called out twice. He who is familiar with the London public will understand that two curtain calls in London are equivalent to five calls in Moscow. The English don't give more than two curtain calls even to their darlings: [Joseph] Joachim and Clara Schumann. In Richter's opinion, and as it seemed to me too, I played better on this occasion than in Vienna. Everyone whom I have spoken to about your concerto liked it very much. The audience listened with the keenest attention. The original motifs of the final movement were evidently to people's liking... As soon as the reviews appear, I shall forward them to you—I hope they will be better than the Viennese ones". Brodsky's letter has been published in Воспоминания о русском доме (2006), p. 113–114.
  2. ↑ In an earlier letter from London on 24 April/6 May 1882 Brodsky had written: "I feel terribly embarrassed by your thanking me so much [in letter 2008]. I do not deserve this in the least. Rather than you thanking me, I should thank God for allowing me to understand and love your music. As far as your concerto is concerned, it is a case of a service in return for a service. For if I am making it popular, it too is making me popular in turn, and here, in London, I have simply had a lot of luck thanks to this concerto. Your name is very well-known here thanks to the Piano Concerto and songs which have been performed here by Bülow and Henschel, and the new Violin Concerto has proved to be a tasty morsel for the local directors (concert entrepreneurs), who are constantly seeking to treat their audiences to something new ... Besides, your concerto gives me the opportunity to demonstrate in the best possible light the 'maximum' of my technical expertise, and apart from a host of musical merits, there is also precisely the fact that it seems far more difficult than it is in reality—that is, it is very rewarding and effective. Therefore, dear Pyotr Ilyich, I hope that your ['thank you'] 'again', 'again', and 'again' in your last letters have exhausted the stock of expressions of gratitude, and that you will not thank me again" This letter of Brodsky's has also been published in Воспоминания о русском доме (2006), p. 112–113.
  3. ↑ Brodsky had received an invitation from the Musical Committee of the All-Russian Arts and Industrial Exhibition in Moscow to perform at one of the concerts which were to be held under its auspices that summer. He accepted the invitation, and on 8/20 August 1882, as part of the Exhibition's sixth concert conducted by Ippolit Altani, he would give the first performance in Russia of the Violin Concerto. Tchaikovsky was present, and after the performance of his concerto he was called out onto the podium several times.
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