Letter 3863

Tchaikovsky Research
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Date 22 May/3 June 1889 [1]
Addressed to Sergey Taneyev
Where written Frolovskoye
Language Russian
Autograph Location Moscow (Russia): Russian State Archive of Literature and Art (ф. 880)
Publication П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма (1951), p. 161
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XV-А (1976), p. 117

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original)
English translation
By Luis Sundkvist
22 мая

Ты оставил у меня твой портмоне с деньгами. Не стоит посылать в Москву, если ты приедешь в будущее воскресенье.

Обнимаю.

Твой П. Чайковский

22 May

You left behind your wallet with money inside at my place. It's not worth sending it to Moscow if you are going to come next Sunday [2].

I embrace you.

Yours, P. Tchaikovsky

Notes and References

  1. This dating was proposed by Vladimir Zhdanov in П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма (1951), on the basis that this brief note was evidently written the day after a visit by Taneyev to Tchaikovsky's house. From the latter's diary we know that Taneyev was at Frolovskoye on Sunday, 21 May/2 June 1889, and that on 22 May/3 June Tchaikovsky "wrote letters all morning" , p. 161. For the relevant diary entries, see, for example The Diaries of Tchaikovsky (1973), p. 280.
  2. Assuming that the proposed date of this brief letter is correct, it seems that there was a change of plans, because the following Saturday, that is, on 27 May/8 June 1889, Tchaikovsky himself went to Moscow for two days. On Sunday he met with Taneyev (as, again, we know from his diary), and he may well have given him his wallet then.