Letter 3643 and Natalya Plesskaya: Difference between pages

Tchaikovsky Research
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{{letterhead
{{picture|file=Natalya Plesskaya.jpg|caption='''Natalya Plesskaya''' (b. 1837)}}
|Date=13/25 August 1888
Cousin to the composer's brother-in-law [[Lev Davydov]] (b. 1837), born '''''Natalya Andreyevna Plesskaya''''' (Наталия Андреевна Плесская), sometimes also spelled ''Pleskaya'' (Плеская).
|To=[[Ivan Vsevolozhsky]]
|Place=[[Frolovskoye]]
|Language=Russian
|Autograph=[[Klin]] (Russia): {{RUS-KLč}} (a{{sup|3}}, No. 32)
|Publication={{bib|1956/20|П. И. Чайковский и балетный театр его времени}} (1956), p. 170 (abridged)<br/>{{bib|1974/53|П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений ; том XIV}} (1974), p. 504–505
}}
==Text==
{{Lettertext
|Language=Russian
|Translator=Brett Langston
|Original text={{right|''13 августа 1888''<br/>с[ело] Фроловское}}
{{centre|Глубокоуважаемый Иван Александрович!}}
От всей души благодарю за распоряжение и сообщение В. П. Погожеву о г. Суке. Весьма желательно, чтобы ему удалось попасть на службу в императорский театр, и я надеюсь, что так оно и устроится.


''Либретто балета я не получил''. Если мне должны были прислать его из Петербурга, то не потрудитесь ли, добрейший Иван Александрович, коему следует о том напомнить. Я очень интересуюсь этим сюжетом.
Natalya was a close friend of the composer's sister [[Aleksandra Davydova|Aleksandra]], and a cousin to his brother-in-law [[Lev Davydov]] (1837–1896). Tchaikovsky was very fond of Natalya Plesskaya, and admired her sunny disposition and ready wit. In 1878 he wrote a piano piece — ''[[Nathalie-Valse]]'' — specially for her, and he revised this three years later as the ''Natha-Valse'' — No. 4 of the [[Six Pieces, Op. 51]].


Я решительно отказался от «''Капитанской дочки''» по крайней мере в том виде, как распланировал сюжет этот Шпажинский. Во 1-х, он решительно отказывается сделать его иначе, а между тем у него вышла совершенно невозможная по длительности опера, в ''шести действиях с массой картин, с столь дробным, сложным действием'', что у меня бы целой остальной жизни не хватило на сочинение ко всему этому музыки. Во 2-х, сам не знаю почему, но я охладел не к «Капитанской дочке» именно, а ко всем сюжетам ''terre-à-terre''. С некоторых пор испытываю стремление к сюжетам ''не от мира сего'', к таким, где варенья не варят, людей не вешают, мазурки не танцуют, не пьянствуют, не подают прошений и т. д., и т. д. Шпажинский очень угодил мне проектом лирической оперы на сюжет баллады Гёте: «''Влюблённая баядерка''». Но ещё не решено, соединимся ли мы с ним для сочинения оперы на этот сюжет. Осенью мы обсудим и решим это дело.
==Dedications==
In 1878, Tchaikovsky wrote a ''[[Nathalie-Valse]]'' for Natalya Plesskaya. He retained the dedication of this piano piece when it was reworked as ''Natha-Valse'', No. 4 of the [[Six Pieces, Op. 51]] (1881).


Будьте здоровы, многоуважаемый Иван Александрович. Ещё раз от души благодарю.
==Correspondence with Tchaikovsky==
16 letters from Tchaikovsky to Natalya Plesskaya have survived, dating from 1879 to 1893. Those highlighted in bold have been translated into English on this website:
* [[Letter 1060]] – 6/18 January 1879, from [[Clarens]]
* [[Letter 1376]] – 13/25 December 1879, from [[Rome]]
* [[Letter 1388]] – 23 December 1879/4 January 1880, from [[Rome]]
* [[Letter 1941]] – 22 January/3 February 1882, from [[Rome]]
* [[Letter 1986]] – 6/18 March 1882, from [[Naples]]
* [[Letter 2014]] – 4/16 May 1882, from [[Kamenka]]
* [[Letter 2269]] – 20 April/2 May 1883, from [[Paris]]
* [[Letter 2330]] – 16/28 August 1883, from [[Podushkino]]
* [[Letter 2333]] – 22 August/3 September 1883, from [[Podushkino]]
* [[Letter 2536]] – 28 August/9 September 1884, from [[Skabeyevo]]
* [[Letter 2687]] – 15/27 April 1885, from [[Maydanovo]]
* [[Letter 2744]] – 31 July/12 August 1885, from [[Maydanovo]]
* '''[[Letter 3640a]]''' – 11/23 August 1888, from [[Frolovskoye]]
* [[Letter 4859]] – 6/18 February 1893, from [[Klin]]
* '''[[Letter 4907]]''' – 5/17 April 1893, from [[Klin]]
* '''[[Letter 4958]]''' – 19 June/1 July 1893, from [[Grankino]]


Искренно преданный,
250 letters from Natalya Plesskaya to the composer, dating from 1878 to 1893, are preserved in the [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.
{{right|П. Чайковский}}


|Translated text={{right|''13 August 1888''<br/> [[Frolovskoye]] village}}
==Bibliography==
{{centre|Most respected [[Ivan Aleksandrovich]]!}}
* {{bib|1938/67}} (1938)
I thank you with all my heart for directing and informing [[Vladimir Pogozhev|V. P. Pogozhev]] about Mr [[Suk]]. It is highly desirable that he succeed in entering the service of the Imperial Theatre, and I hope that this shall come to pass <ref name="note1"/>.
* {{bib|1951/51}} (1951)


''I have not received the ballet libretto''. If it were being sent to me from [[Petersburg]], then might I enquire of you, most kind [[Ivan Aleksandrovich]], who should be reminded of this. I am most interested in this subject <ref name="note2"/>.
[[Category:People|Plesskaya, Natalya]]
 
[[Category:Correspondents|Plesskaya, Natalya]]
I have firmly rejected "''[[The Captain's Daughter]]''", at least in the form of this story devised by [[Shpazhinsky]]. Firstly, he firmly declines to do it any differently, while at the same time he comes up with an opera of absolutely impossible duration, in ''six acts with a multitude of scenes, with such fractured, complex action'', that it would take more than my whole lifetime to write all this music. Secondly, I do not know why, but I have cooled not towards "[[The Captain's Daughter]]" itself, but towards all ''terre-à-terre'' <ref name="note3"/> subjects. For some time I have been drawn towards subjects ''not of this world'', where jam is not boiled, people aren't executed, mazurkas aren't danced, no-one is drunk, no petitions are served, etc. etc.  [[Shpazhinsky]] managed to interest me in a projected lyrical opera on the subject of [[Goethe]]'s ballad: "''Der Gott und die Bajadere''". But it is not yet decided whether I will collaborate with him to compose an opera on this subject. In the autumn we will consider and settle the matter <ref name="note4"/>.
 
Keep well, most respected [[Ivan Aleksandrovich]]. Once again you have my heartfelt thanks.
 
Sincerely devoted,
{{right|P. Tchaikovsky}}
}}
==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">See [[Letter 3636]] to [[Ivan Vsevolozhsky]], 7/19 August 1888.</ref>
<ref name="note2">The subject of the ballet was ''[[The Sleeping Beauty]]'', after a story by [[Charles Perrault]].</ref>
<ref name="note3">"Terre-à-terre" (French) {{=}} 'down to earth'.</ref>
<ref name="note4">Tchaikovsky did not go on to write any operas based ''[[The Captain's Daughter]]'' or ''[[The Bayadere]]''.</ref>
</references>

Revision as of 21:28, 12 December 2022

Natalya Plesskaya (b. 1837)

Cousin to the composer's brother-in-law Lev Davydov (b. 1837), born Natalya Andreyevna Plesskaya (Наталия Андреевна Плесская), sometimes also spelled Pleskaya (Плеская).

Natalya was a close friend of the composer's sister Aleksandra, and a cousin to his brother-in-law Lev Davydov (1837–1896). Tchaikovsky was very fond of Natalya Plesskaya, and admired her sunny disposition and ready wit. In 1878 he wrote a piano piece — Nathalie-Valse — specially for her, and he revised this three years later as the Natha-Valse — No. 4 of the Six Pieces, Op. 51.

Dedications

In 1878, Tchaikovsky wrote a Nathalie-Valse for Natalya Plesskaya. He retained the dedication of this piano piece when it was reworked as Natha-Valse, No. 4 of the Six Pieces, Op. 51 (1881).

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

16 letters from Tchaikovsky to Natalya Plesskaya have survived, dating from 1879 to 1893. Those highlighted in bold have been translated into English on this website:

250 letters from Natalya Plesskaya to the composer, dating from 1878 to 1893, are preserved in the Klin House-Museum Archive.

Bibliography

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