Letter 3963

Tchaikovsky Research
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.
Date between 20 October/1 November and 27 October/8 November 1889
Addressed to Vasily Safonov
Where written Moscow
Language Russian
Autograph Location Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve (a3, No. 346)
Publication П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XV-А (1976), p. 202

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original)
English translation
By Brett Langston
Был у Капниста. Он принял меня (как представителя Консерв[атории]) необычайно любезно и выразил крайнее удовольствие узнать, что мы интересуемся студенческой музыкой. Он сам собирался повидать меня или тебя, чтобы попробовать завербовать одного из наших, ввиду вероятного не приезда Макса и болезни Фитценхагена. Почему-то из двух предложенных мной заместителей Макса, он безусловно, на стороне Зилоти. Трудно было понять почему, — вероятно, Зилоти ему лично симпатичен. Дня через два, повидавшись с двумя распорядителями, он обещал побывать у меня и поговорить окончательно.
П. Чайковский

I've been to see Kapnist [1]. He treated me (as a representative of the Conservatory) exceptionally kindly and expressed great delight on learning of our interest in student music. He himself has been meaning to see you or me, in order to attempt to recruit one of us, considering that Max's was unlikely to turn up, and Fitzenhagen was ill. As for my two suggestions to replace Max, for some reason he categorically preferred Ziloti. It is difficult to understand why — probably because he is more personally sympathetic to Ziloti. After consulting with two of his managers, he promised to see me in two days' time to conclude the discussions [2].
P. Tchaikovsky

Notes and References

  1. Count Pavel Alekseyevich Kapnist (1842-1904), administrator at Moscow University, whose orchestra had been left without a conductor following the departure from Russia of Max Erdmannsdörfer.
  2. The conductor Nikolay Semyonovich Klenovsky (1857-1915) was eventually appointed as Erdmannsdörfer's successor in this role.