Letter 589

Tchaikovsky Research
Revision as of 13:28, 12 July 2022 by Brett (talk | contribs) (1 revision imported)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Date 25 July/6 August 1877
Addressed to Konstantin Shilovsky
Where written Moscow
Language Russian
Autograph Location Moscow: Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum (Shilovsky collection)
Publication Чайковский на Московской сцене (1940), p. 302–303
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том VI (1961), p. 159–160

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original)
English translation
By Luis Sundkvist
Москва
25 июля

Костя! почти месяц протёк с моего отъезда из Глебова, и сколько произошло с тех пор, сколько я перечувствовал разных странных, новых, разнообразных ощущений, — точно будто с тех пор целый век протянулся! Воспоминание о Глебовском месяце буквально представляется мне сном, и притом очень сладким сном. Если б Юлья Сергеевна могла забрести в моё сердце, то она изумилась бы, до чего велика моя благодарность к тебе. О стократ чудный, милый, тихий уголок мира, — я никогда тебя не забуду!!!

Если б мне рассказывать и описывать всё, что я переиспытал за последние три недели, то пришлось бы целые томы исписать. Даже в общих чертах я не в состоянии этого сделать. Я теперь невообразимо утомлён тою безалаберною жизнью, которую веду. То Петербург, то Москва, то деревня тёщи; о работе и думать нечего. Словом, суета страшная. Чтобы покончить всё это, завтра я уезжаю на Кавказ один на целый месяц. Жена моя покамест будет устраивать наше будущее жильё. Мне необходимо уединиться, чтобы издали взглянуть на своё положение и решить в конце концов, хорошо или дурно я сделал. Ей-Богу, я теперь этого не знаю. Про жену могу сказать только одно: она делает всё, чтоб мне нравиться, и не стесняет меня ни в чём: она очень деликатна и очень преданна. Если я приду к тому заключению, что свобода холостяка лучше брака, — то уж, конечно, не жена будет в этом виновата, а я.

Я здесь живу, по возможности удаляясь от всяких встреч; пока я не свыкнусь с женатой жизнью, — мне не хочется ни с кем видеться. Впрочем, Ник[олай] Львович бывает у меня. Кажется, в глубине души он против моей женитьбы, но старается не высказывать этого.

Поцелуй от меня крепко ручку Марьи Конст[антиновны]. Ах, как мне хотелось 22-го махнуть к Вам на денёчек! Но это оказалось вполне невозможно. Влепи по безешке Саше, Вове и Танусь. Барышням Языковым низкий поклон. А потом кланяйся Глебову вообще, всей совокупности Глебовских прелестей, лугам, лесам, полям, деревьям, водам, воздуху и т. д

Если тебе не будет особенно трудно, то 300 р[ублей] пришли мне в Москву около 1-го сентября. Целую тебя, милый Костя!

Твой П. Чайковский

Очень кланяюсь милому художнику Чижику.

Moscow
25 July

Kostya! Almost a month has elapsed since my departure from Glebovo, and how much has happened since then, how many different strange, new, and miscellaneous sensations I have experienced — it is just as if a whole lifetime had passed since then![1] My recollections of the month spent at Glebovo literally seem like a dream to me, and a very sweet dream too. If Yuliya Sergeyevna could look into my heart, she would be amazed to see how great my gratitude to you is. O, that wonderful, dear, quiet corner of the world — I shall never forget you!!!

If I were to recount and describe everything that I have experienced over the last three weeks, then I would have to fill whole reams of paper. I am not even able to do this in general outline. Right now I am inexpressibly exhausted by the disorderly life I am leading. Now we're in Petersburg, now in Moscow, now in the village of my mother-in-law — there is just no way one can think of work in these circumstances. In short, it is a frightful commotion. In order to put an end to all this, tomorrow I am leaving for the Caucasus alone and shall spend a whole month there [2]. In the meantime my wife will arrange our future lodgings. It is essential for me to go off by myself so that I can look at my situation from a distance and eventually decide whether what I did was good or bad. Truly, right now I just don't know. As for my wife, I can say only this: she does everything to please me and does not constrain me in anything: she is very tactful and very devoted to me. If I come to the conclusion that a bachelor's freedom is better than marriage, then of course it will be I and not my wife who is to blame for this.

I've been avoiding so far as possible any sort of meetings with people. Until I become accustomed to married life I don't want to see anyone. That is, Nikolay Lvovich [3] does visit me. I think that in his heart of hearts he is against my marriage, but he tries not to show it.

Please kiss Marya Konstantinovna's [4] hand warmly for me. Oh, how I wanted to come to see you for a single day on the 22nd [of July]![5] But it turned out to be utterly impossible. Would you plant a little kiss each on Sasha, Vova, and Tanus [6]. Send my respectful compliments to the Misses Yazykova. And then give my regards to Glebovo in general, to the whole totality of Glebovo's delights — its meadows, forests, fields, trees, waters, air etc

If it won't cause you too many difficulties, send 300 rubles to me in Moscow around the 1st of September. I kiss you, dear Kostya!

Yours, P. Tchaikovsky

My very warm regards to the dear artist Chizhik [7].

Notes and References

  1. Tchaikovsky had stayed at Konstantin Shilovsky's family estate near Glebovo from 29 May/10 June to 27 June/9 July 1877 and completed there the sketches for two thirds of his new opera Yevgeny Onegin. It was also from Glebovo that he wrote to his father on 23 June/5 July (Letter 572) to announce that he was going to marry Antonina Milyukova. Their wedding took place in Moscow on 6/18 July, and the newly-wed couple travelled to Saint Petersburg the following day so that Antonina could meet Ilya Tchaikovsky. On 14/26 July they returned to Moscow.
  2. After setting off from Moscow on 26 July/7 August 1877 Tchaikovsky decided to visit his sister Aleksandra Davydova at Kamenka for a few days before travelling on to the Caucasus. In the end, however, he decided to stay on at Kamenka until the end of the summer vacation (classes at the Conservatory resumed in early/mid September).
  3. Nikolay Lvovich Bochechkarov (d. 1879), an eccentric old man whom Tchaikovsky supported financially during his Moscow years. For more information on his role in the composer's life, see: Alexander Poznansky, Tchaikovsky. The quest for the inner man (1991), and the same author's more recent book: Пётр Чайковский. Биография, том I (2009).
  4. Konstantin Shilovsky's wife.
  5. The 22nd of July [O.S.] was the name-day of Konstantin Shilovsky's wife Mariya — note by Vasily Kiselev in: Чайковский на московской сцене (1940), p. 304.
  6. Affectionate diminutives of the names of Konstantin Shilovsky's children: Aleksandra (Sasha), Vladimir (Vova) and Tatyana (Tanus).
  7. Chizhik (literally 'little siskin') may be the nickname of some mutual acquaintance.