Anna von Meck
Niece of the composer (b. 9/21 December 1864 in Kamenka; d. 1942), born Anna Lvovna Davydova (Анна Львовна Давыдова); known after her marriage as Anna Lvovna fon Mekk (Анна Львовна фон Мекк).
Anna was the third daughter of the composer's sister Aleksandra (b. Tchaikovskaya, 1842–1891) and her husband Lev Davydov (1837–1896).
With encouragement from her uncle and Nadezhda von Meck, on 11/23 January 1884 she married Nikolay von Meck (1863–1929), and they had five children: Kira (1885–1969); Mark (1890–1918); Galina (1891–1985); Attal (1894–1916); and Lyutsella (1896–1933). In 1903 they adopted another daughter: Yelena (b. Moyseyeva, 1897–1926).
Dedications
In 1881, Tchaikovsky dedicated his piano piece Polka peu dansante — No. 2 of the Six Pieces, Op. 51 — "à Mademoiselle Anna Davidoff".
The previous year he had also written a Chorus for Students of the Patriotic Institute at her request, which has now been lost.
Correspondence with Tchaikovsky
One letter from Tchaikovsky to Anna von Meck (Davydova) has survived, dating from 1882, and has been translated into English on this website:
- Letter 2017 – 10/22 May 1882, from Kamenka
8 letters from Anna to her uncle, dating from 1878 to 1891, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (a4, Nos. 2410–2417).
Bibliography
- Из моих воспоминаний о П. И. Чайковском (1962)
- Из моих воспоминаний о П. И. Чайковском (1973)
- Из моих воспоминаний о П. И. Чайковском (1979)
- Из моих воспоминаний о П. И. Чайковском (1980)
- Pages de mes souvenirs de P. I. Tchaikovski (1985)
- Mein Onkel Peter Tschaikowsky und das Ende seines Briefwechsels mit Nadeshda von Meck (1994)
- Воспоминания А. Л. фон Мекк (2015)
