Letter 2698

Tchaikovsky Research
Date 28 April/10 May 1885
Addressed to Emiliya Pavlovskaya
Where written Maydanovo
Language Russian
Autograph Location Moscow (Russia): Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum (Pavlovskaya collection)
Publication Чайковский на Московской сцене (1940), p. 340–341
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIII (1971), p. 77.

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original)
English translation
By Luis Sundkvist
28 апр[еля] [18]85
Майданово

Голубушка моя Эмилия Карловна!

Отчего Вы мне не ответили на моё большое письмо по поводу «Чародейки»? Или оно не дошло до Вас? Я адресовал в кассу Большого театра, ибо, хоть убей, не мог и теперь не могу вспомнить № Вашего дома. Я просил в этом письме, чтобы Вы дали мне знать, когда уезжаете из Петербурга. Если ещё не поздно, ответье на этот ворпос. Мне очень бы хотелось повидать Вас!

Целую крепко Ваши ручки.

Ваш, П. Чайковский

28 April 1885.
Maydanovo

My darling Emiliya Karlovna!

Why have you not replied to my long letter concerning "The Enchantress"?[1] Or did it not reach you? I addressed it to the box-office at the Bolshoi Theatre, because I couldn't, and still cannot, for the life of me remember the number of your house. In this letter I asked you to let me know when you would be leaving Petersburg. If it is still not too late, please answer that question. I very much want to see you!

I kiss your hands warmly.

Yours, P. Tchaikovsky

Notes and References

  1. See Letter 2685 to Emiliya Pavlovskaya, 12/24 April 1885. Pavlovskaya had in fact received that letter and replied to it in a lengthy letter (whose date has been established precisely as 25 April/7 May 1885), in which she explained what changes she felt Ippolit Shpazhinsky should make to the character of Nastasya when adapting his play The Enchantress into a libretto for Tchaikovsky. Pavlovskaya's letter, which for some reason had not reached Tchaikovsky by the time he wrote the above, has been published in Чайковский на московской сцене (1940), p. 335–340.