Letter 528 and Letter 79: Difference between pages

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{{letterhead  
{{letterhead  
|Date=25 December 1876/6 January 1877
|Date=14/26 January 1866
|To=[[Sergey Taneyev]]  
|To=[[Anatoly Tchaikovsky]]  
|Place=[[Moscow]]  
|Place=[[Moscow]]  
|Language=Russian  
|Language=Russian  
|Autograph=[[Moscow]]: {{RUS-Mcl}} (ф. 880)
|Autograph={{locunknown}}  
|Publication={{bib|1900/35|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1900), p. 516–517 (abridged)<br/>{{bib|1916/16|Письма П. И. Чайковского и С. И. Танеева}} [1916], p. 11–12<br/>{{bib|1951/54|П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма}} (1951), p. 14–15<br/>{{bib|1961/38|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том VI}} (1961), p. 102 }}
|Publication={{bib|1900/35|Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского ; том 1}} (1900), p. 227–228 (abridged)<br/>{{bib|1940/210|П. И. Чайковский. Письма к родным ; том 1}} (1940), p. 73–74 <br/>{{bib|1955/37|П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким}} (1955), p. 22–23 <br/>{{bib|1959/50|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том V}} (1959), p. 92–93 <br/>{{bib|1981/81|Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Letters to his family. An autobiography}} (1981), p. 21 (English translation).
|Notes=Manuscript copy in [[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}}
}}


==Text and Translation==
==Text and Translation==
Based on a handwritten copy in the [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive, which may contain differences in formatting and content from Tchaikovsky's original letter.
{{Lettertext
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Translator=Luis Sundkvist
|Original text={{right|''Москва''<br/>25 декабря 1876}}
|Original text={{right|14 января 1866 г[ода]}}
{{centre|Милый Серёжа!}}
{{centre|Милый Толька!}}
Вчера, быв в консерватории на ёлке у Карла Карловича, получил Ваше милое письмо.  
Благодарю за письмо. Все эти дни я чувствовал себя не совсем хорошо, но теперь лучше. Ваши письма мне доставляют большое удовольствие. Вчера читал первую лекцию, конфузился ужасно, но прошло благополучно.  


Сейчас я написал письмо к ''Colonn'у'', прося его дать мне знать, может ли он удружить мне своим оркестром. Если он только согласится и ответит мне (я адресовал письмо прямо в Châtelet) утвердительно, то нет сомнения, что концерт состоится. Тысяча рублей не Бог весть какая сумма, и я её наверное достану. Я изумлён дешевизной оркестра и залы и весьма доволен, что ''S[ain]t-Saëns'' поощряет меня дать концерт. Когда я получу благоприятный ответ от ''Colonn'а'', то немедленно приму меры для осуществления моего замысла и прежде всего попрошу корреспондента Юргенсона ''Dufour'а'' взять на себя хлопоты по устройству концерта или же указать мне человека, могущего за известную плату мне оказать эту услугу. За сим начну хлопотать о певице и попрошу Вас деликатным образом узнать, не споёт ли ''Виардо'' два-три моих романса, а также сходить к Енгалычевой и попросить её участвовать в концерте. Я уверен, что ''Colonne'' лучше меня продирижирует, но всё же я хотел бы быть не совершенно закулисным лицом в своём концерте и желал бы продирижировать что-нибудь одно, что полегче, например, «''Журавля''». Впрочем, это разъяснится потом. Что касается Вас, то я бы попросил Вас на всякий случай заняться моими ''фортепианными вариациями'' и по Вашему выбору ещё одной какой-нибудь пьесой, — ведь это Вам ничего не стоит. Барцевич в Варшаве. Знаю, что он даёт там концерты с целью ехать в Париж, но когда и как не знаю. ''Котек'' здесь. Теперь он уехал в Петербург вместе с Ник[олаем] Григ[орьевичем], чтобы участвовать в концерте оркестра русской оперы.
По части приезда моего в Петербург или Вашего в Москву я тебе скажу, что я этого наверное столько же желал сколько и ты, но ведь нельзя делать всё, что хочется. Я ни за что в мире не согласен, чтобы Вы издержали жалованье на проезд или, что ещё хуже, чтобы Вы делали долги. При том же ты себе и вообразить не можешь, как всё здесь дорого; я не захочу, чтобы Вы голодали здесь или скучали, а еда и театры потребуют такого количества денег, которого нет ни у меня, ни у Вас. Всё моё жалованье за первый месяц пойдёт на новое платье, которое Рубинштейн требует, чтоб я сделал, говоря, что моё теперешнее слишком неприлично для профессора теории. Словом, если рассудить благоразумно, предвидя все последствия моей или Вашей поездки, то выходит, что лучше всего от неё воздержаться и подождать до Святой. Мой милый Толя, ты поверь, что мне очень грустно отказаться от удовольствия Вас видеть, но благоразумие берёт своё. Не пишу тебе сегодня ничего больше; мне приходится писать так много писем, что я просто с ума схожу. Устал неимоверно.  


В последнее время я очень часто виделся и близко познакомился с писателем ''гр. Л. Н. Толстым''. Прелестная личность и очень любящая музыку. До свиданья, голубчик. Пишите.  
Целую тебя ''до бесконечности'', и облобызай Модошу.
{{right|Ваш, П. Чайковский}}
{{right|П. Чайковский}}
Сейчас получил Ваше письмо с карточками Давыдовых. Пишу и им. Напиши мне, где нашлась твоя геометрия.


|Translated text={{right|''[[Moscow]]''<br/>25 December 1876}}
|Translated text={{right|14 January 1866}}
{{centre|Dear [[Serezha]]!}}
{{centre|Dear [[Tolka]]!}}
Yesterday, when I was at [[Karl Karlovich]]'s Christmas party at the Conservatory, I received your sweet letter <ref name="note1"/>.  
Thank you for your letter. Throughout all these days I haven't been feeling quite well, but now I am feeling better. Your letters give me great pleasure. Yesterday I gave my first lecture: I felt terribly embarrassed, but it went all right.  


I have just written a letter to ''[[Colonne]]'', asking him to let me know whether he can help me out with his orchestra <ref name="note2"/>. If only he gives his consent and replies to me (I addressed my letter directly to the Châtelet) in the affirmative, then there is no doubt that the concert will take place. A thousand rubles is not such a monstrously big sum, and I am sure that I can raise it <ref name="note3"/>. I am astonished by how cheap the orchestra and venue are, and I am very satisfied to see that [[Saint-Saëns]] is encouraging me to give a concert. As soon as I receive a favourable reply from ''[[Colonne]]'' I shall immediately take measures to realize my plan: first of all, I shall ask [[Jurgenson]]'s correspondent ''Dufour'' <ref name="note4"/> to take upon himself the business of organizing the concert, or otherwise to point out to me someone who, for a certain fee, can render me this service. After that I shall start looking for a singer, and I would ask you to find out, in a tactful manner, whether ''[[Viardot]]'' might be willing to sing two or three of my songs <ref name="note5"/>, as well as to call on Yengalycheva <ref name="note6"/> and ask her to take part in the concert. I am sure that ''[[Colonne]]'' will conduct the concert better than I ever could, but all the same I wouldn't like to be a completely backstage figure at my own concert and I would like to conduct something <ref name="note7"/> — one of the easier pieces such as, for instance, "''The Crane''" <ref name="note8"/>. Anyway, this is something that can be be clarified later on. As far as you are concerned, I would kindly ask you in any case to study my ''piano variations'' <ref name="note9"/>} and one other piece of your choice — after all, this won't cost you any effort <ref name="note10"/>. Barcewicz <ref name="note11"/> is in [[Warsaw]]. I know that he is giving concerts there with a view to coming to [[Paris]], but when and how, I do not know. ''[[Kotek]]'' is here. He has now left for [[Petersburg]] together with [[Nikolay Grigoryevich]] in order to take part in a concert given by the orchestra of the Russian Opera.  
As for my coming to [[Petersburg]] or the two of you coming to [[Moscow]], I should like to tell you that this is something which I wished for probably just as much as you did, but, after all, one cannot do everything one wants. I would not for the world agree to you spending your allowance to pay for such a trip, or, even worse, to your getting into debt. Besides, you have no idea how expensive everything is here. I wouldn't want you to have to go hungry here or feel bored, but the point is that food and visits to the theatre require an amount of money which neither I nor you possess. My whole salary for the first month will have to be spent on a new suit: [[Nikolay Rubinstein|Rubinstein]] insists that I must have one made, because, according to him, the one I am wearing now is much too unseemly for a professor of theory <ref name="note1"/>. In short, if one weighs up everything prudently, foreseeing all the consequences of you or me making such a trip, then the upshot is that it would be best of all to abstain from it and wait until Holy Week. My dear [[Tolya]], believe me that it is very sad for me to have to renounce the pleasure of seeing you both, but prudence must prevail here. I shall not write anything more to you today: I have to write so many letters that I am simply going mad. I am incredibly exhausted.


I have recently been seeing a lot of the writer ''[[Lev Tolstoy|Count L. N. Tolstoy]]'' and have become closely acquainted with him. He is a delightful person and loves music very much. So long, golubchik. Do write to me.  
I kiss you ''ad infinitum''; please also shower [[Modosha]] with kisses.  
{{right|Yours, P. Tchaikovsky}}
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
I have just received your letter with the Davydovs' photos. I shall write to them too. When you write again tell me where you found your geometry textbook.
}}
}}


==Notes and References==
==Notes and References==
<references>
<references>
<ref name="note1">[[Taneyev]] had written to his former teacher from [[Paris]] on 16/28 December 1876 in response to Tchaikovsky's enquiry about the possibility of organizing a concert of his works in the French capital (see [[Letter 518]] to [[Taneyev]], 5/17 December 1876). [[Saint-Saëns]], whom [[Taneyev]] had spoken to about this idea, was enthusiastic and had argued that now was the best time to organize such an event because the overture-fantasia ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', recently performed at one of the Pasdeloup Concerts, had made a very favourable impression. [[Taneyev]]'s letter has been published in {{bib|1951/48|П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма}} (1951), p. 14.</ref>
<ref name="note1">[[Nikolay Kashkin]] recalled how Tchaikovsky arrived in [[Moscow]] "wearing an exceedingly old raccoon coat given to him by [[A. N. Apukhtin]], who used it during trips to the countryside. The frock-coat and other accessories of his suit were concordant with that coat, so that on the whole our new lecturer was dressed not just modestly, but quite simply very shabbily, which, however, did not prevent him from making a wonderful impression on the students when he appeared in the classrooms: in his figure and bearing there was so much gracefulness that it more than made up for the deficiencies of his clothing". [[Nikolay Rubinstein]], who insisted that Tchaikovsky have a new suit made and offered to advance him money for this purpose, eventually gave him the frock-coat of Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880), who was then professor of violin at the [[Saint Petersburg]] Conservatory, and who had evidently left his frock-coat behind during some visit to [[Moscow]]. "True, Wieniawski was considerably taller and stouter than Pyotr Ilyich," [[Kashkin]] continues, "and so the frock-coat did not fit him perfectly at all, but the young composer wasn't inhibited by this, and, on the contrary, he wore it with such proud dignity as if it had been made for him by the best tailor" — see {{bib|1896/17|Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковском}} (1896), p. 9-10, and the note based on that by Vladimir Zhdanov in {{bib|1940/210|П. И. Чайковский. Письма к родным ; том 1}} (1940), p. 666-667.</ref>
<ref name="note2">See [[Letter 528a]] to [[Édouard Colonne]], 25 December 1876/6 January 1877.</ref>
<ref name="note3">In his letter of 16/28 December 1876 [[Taneyev]] explained that it would cost at the most 2,000 francs in total to pay [[Colonne]]'s orchestra (for three rehearsals and the concert itself) and to rent the Salle Herz as the concert venue. He advised Tchaikovsky to bring with him to [[Paris]] a thousand rubles, which, taking into account the exchange rate, would cover all the expenses.</ref>
<ref name="note4">One of the proprietors of the Parisian music publishing firm Brandus, Dufour & Cie.</ref>
<ref name="note5">Not long after his arrival in [[Paris]] in early November 1876 [[Taneyev]] had met the city's most famous Russian resident, [[Ivan Turgenev]], who had taken the young musician under his wing and invited him to [[Pauline Viardot]]'s famous Thursday soirées. Tchaikovsky knew that [[Turgenev]] and [[Pauline Viardot]] had for some years been expressing a great interest in his music.</ref>
<ref name="note6">Princess Nadezhda Yengalycheva (stage name: Elvira Angeli), Russian opera and lieder singer; she had sung at the [[Moscow]] Bolshoi Theatre before taking up an engagement at the Opéra-comique in [[Paris]].</ref>
<ref name="note7">In an earlier letter to Tchaikovsky on 12/24 December 1876 (before his visit to [[Saint-Saëns]]) [[Taneyev]] had observed that in his view it would be better if [[Colonne]] conducted at the concert, because Tchaikovsky lacked experience as a conductor. This letter of [[Taneyev]]'s has also been published in {{bib|1951/54|П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма}} (1951), p. 13.</ref>
<ref name="note8">The finale of Tchaikovsky's [[Symphony No. 2]], which was inspired by the Ukrainian folk tune "The Crane" that the composer so often heard the steward [[Pyotr Kozidub]] humming during his stay at [[Kamenka]] in the summer of 1872.</ref>
<ref name="note9">''Thème original et variations'', No. 6 of the [[Six Pieces, Op. 19]], for piano solo — note by Vladimir Zhdanov in {{bib|1951/48|П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма}} (1951), p. 15.</ref>
<ref name="note10">In his letter of 16/28 December 1876 [[Taneyev]] had asked Tchaikovsky whether he really wanted him to play some of his shorter piano pieces after the [[Piano Concerto No. 1]], because, as he put it, that was Tchaikovsky's "most effective" work for the piano. He added, though, that he was willing to study any smaller piece that Tchaikovsky wanted him to perform at this Parisian concert.</ref>
<ref name="note11">[[Stanisław Barcewicz]] (1858–1929), Polish violinist and conductor. Barcewicz studied under [[Ferdinand Laub]] at the [[Moscow]] Conservatory and also attended Tchaikovsky's composition class in 1875–76. From 1885 he was a professor (and director from 1910 to 1919) of the [[Warsaw]] Academy of Music; from 1893 he was also director of the [[Warsaw]] Opera-House (''Teatr wielki'') where he had previously been the orchestra's concertmaster.</ref>
</references>
</references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0528}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letter 0079}}

Revision as of 18:36, 29 March 2020

Date 14/26 January 1866
Addressed to Anatoly Tchaikovsky
Where written Moscow
Language Russian
Autograph Location unknown
Publication Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 1 (1900), p. 227–228 (abridged)
П. И. Чайковский. Письма к родным (1940), p. 73–74
П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким. Избранное (1955), p. 22–23
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том V (1959), p. 92–93
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Letters to his family. An autobiography (1981), p. 21 (English translation).
Notes Manuscript copy in Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve

Text and Translation

Based on a handwritten copy in the Klin House-Museum Archive, which may contain differences in formatting and content from Tchaikovsky's original letter.

Russian text
(original) 		English translation
By Luis Sundkvist
14 января 1866 г[ода]

Милый Толька!

Благодарю за письмо. Все эти дни я чувствовал себя не совсем хорошо, но теперь лучше. Ваши письма мне доставляют большое удовольствие. Вчера читал первую лекцию, конфузился ужасно, но прошло благополучно.

По части приезда моего в Петербург или Вашего в Москву я тебе скажу, что я этого наверное столько же желал сколько и ты, но ведь нельзя делать всё, что хочется. Я ни за что в мире не согласен, чтобы Вы издержали жалованье на проезд или, что ещё хуже, чтобы Вы делали долги. При том же ты себе и вообразить не можешь, как всё здесь дорого; я не захочу, чтобы Вы голодали здесь или скучали, а еда и театры потребуют такого количества денег, которого нет ни у меня, ни у Вас. Всё моё жалованье за первый месяц пойдёт на новое платье, которое Рубинштейн требует, чтоб я сделал, говоря, что моё теперешнее слишком неприлично для профессора теории. Словом, если рассудить благоразумно, предвидя все последствия моей или Вашей поездки, то выходит, что лучше всего от неё воздержаться и подождать до Святой. Мой милый Толя, ты поверь, что мне очень грустно отказаться от удовольствия Вас видеть, но благоразумие берёт своё. Не пишу тебе сегодня ничего больше; мне приходится писать так много писем, что я просто с ума схожу. Устал неимоверно.

Целую тебя до бесконечности, и облобызай Модошу.

П. Чайковский

Сейчас получил Ваше письмо с карточками Давыдовых. Пишу и им. Напиши мне, где нашлась твоя геометрия.

14 January 1866

Dear Tolka!

Thank you for your letter. Throughout all these days I haven't been feeling quite well, but now I am feeling better. Your letters give me great pleasure. Yesterday I gave my first lecture: I felt terribly embarrassed, but it went all right.

As for my coming to Petersburg or the two of you coming to Moscow, I should like to tell you that this is something which I wished for probably just as much as you did, but, after all, one cannot do everything one wants. I would not for the world agree to you spending your allowance to pay for such a trip, or, even worse, to your getting into debt. Besides, you have no idea how expensive everything is here. I wouldn't want you to have to go hungry here or feel bored, but the point is that food and visits to the theatre require an amount of money which neither I nor you possess. My whole salary for the first month will have to be spent on a new suit: Rubinstein insists that I must have one made, because, according to him, the one I am wearing now is much too unseemly for a professor of theory [1]. In short, if one weighs up everything prudently, foreseeing all the consequences of you or me making such a trip, then the upshot is that it would be best of all to abstain from it and wait until Holy Week. My dear Tolya, believe me that it is very sad for me to have to renounce the pleasure of seeing you both, but prudence must prevail here. I shall not write anything more to you today: I have to write so many letters that I am simply going mad. I am incredibly exhausted.

I kiss you ad infinitum; please also shower Modosha with kisses.

P. Tchaikovsky

I have just received your letter with the Davydovs' photos. I shall write to them too. When you write again tell me where you found your geometry textbook.

Notes and References

  1. ↑ Nikolay Kashkin recalled how Tchaikovsky arrived in Moscow "wearing an exceedingly old raccoon coat given to him by A. N. Apukhtin, who used it during trips to the countryside. The frock-coat and other accessories of his suit were concordant with that coat, so that on the whole our new lecturer was dressed not just modestly, but quite simply very shabbily, which, however, did not prevent him from making a wonderful impression on the students when he appeared in the classrooms: in his figure and bearing there was so much gracefulness that it more than made up for the deficiencies of his clothing". Nikolay Rubinstein, who insisted that Tchaikovsky have a new suit made and offered to advance him money for this purpose, eventually gave him the frock-coat of Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880), who was then professor of violin at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and who had evidently left his frock-coat behind during some visit to Moscow. "True, Wieniawski was considerably taller and stouter than Pyotr Ilyich," Kashkin continues, "and so the frock-coat did not fit him perfectly at all, but the young composer wasn't inhibited by this, and, on the contrary, he wore it with such proud dignity as if it had been made for him by the best tailor" — see Воспоминания о П. И. Чайковском (1896), p. 9-10, and the note based on that by Vladimir Zhdanov in П. И. Чайковский. Письма к родным (1940), p. 666-667.
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