Letter 2868
| Date | 24 January/5 February 1886 |
|---|---|
| Addressed to | Aleksandr Ostrovsky |
| Where written | Maydanovo |
| Language | Russian |
| Autograph Location | Moscow (Russia): Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum (Ostrovsky collection) |
| Publication | А. Н. Островский и русские композиторы. Письма (1937), p. 169–170 П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIII (1971), p. 257 |
Text and Translation
| Russian text (original) |
English translation By Luis Sundkvist |
с[ело] Майданово 24 января Многоуважаемый
Александр Николаевич! Податель сего письма есть тенор г. Байц, бывший ученик Московской консерватории, впоследствии певший на многих провинциальных сценах и обладающий большим репертуаром. Он мечтает о приглашении на московскую сцену, хотя бы на 2-ые роли. Позвольте с своей стороны рекомендовать Вам этого артиста как полезного деятеля для нашей труппы. С истинным уважением остаюсь глубоко преданный Вам П. Чайковский |
Maydanovo village 24 January Most respectedd
Aleksandr Nikolayevich! The bearer of this letter is the tenor Mr Baits [1], a former student of the Moscow Conservatory who subsequently has been singing in many provincial opera-houses, and who possesses a large repertoire. He dreams of being engaged by a Moscow theatre, even if it were only for secondary roles. Allow me on my part to recommend this artist to you as a useful potential member for our company [2]. With genuine respect I remain your profoundly devoted, P. Tchaikovsky |
Notes and References
- ↑ Iosif Borisovich Baits (real name and patronymic: Isaak Berelovich; d. 1889 or, according to other sources, 1887), Russian tenor; in 1876 he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, where he had studied in the singing class of Giacomo Galvani, and subsequently performed in opera-houses in Italy and Russia (including Kiev and Kharkov).
- ↑ On 1/13 January 1886 Aleksandr Ostrovsky had been appointed director of repertoire for the Moscow state theatres, which meant that he was effectively in charge of all their artistic decisions. He was also responsible for the engagement of new singers by the Bolshoi Theatre's opera company, and that is why Tchaikovsky gave Baits a letter of recommendation addressed to him. The name Baits does not appear in any lists of former company members in the archive of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre—note by Sergey Popov in А. Н. Островский и П. И. Чайковский (1937), p. 170.
