Letter 3034

Tchaikovsky Research
Date 28 August/9 September 1886 (?) [1]
Addressed to Ippolit Altani
Where written Moscow (?)
Language Russian
Autograph Location Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve (a3, No. 2886)
Publication П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIII (1971), p. 437

Text and Translation

Russian text
(original)
English translation
By Brett Langston
Милый друг!

Лодий свободен. Неужели Вы упустите случай иметь в труппе такого превосходного певца? Голубчик, сделай все возможное, чтобы это устроить. Скажи Майкову, что он должен это сделать. Иначе Лодий пойдёт в оперетку.

Твой, П. Чайковский

Dear friend!

Lody[2] is available. Would you really miss the chance to have such an excellent singer in the company? Golubchik, do everything possible so this might be arranged. Tell Maykov [3] that this must to be done. Otherwise Lody will go into operettas [4].

Yours. P. Tchaikovsky

Notes and References

  1. Conjecturally dated by the editors of П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIII (1971), on the basis of a note in Tchaikovsky's diary for 28 August/9 September 1886: "Met with Lody".
  2. Pyotr Andreyevich Lody (1855-1920), tenor who had served with the Saint Petersburg Theatres (1876-1879 and 1882-1884), and the Tiflis opera (1882-84).
  3. Apollon Aleksandrovich Maykov (1826-1902), director of the Imperial Theatres in Moscow.
  4. Tchaikovsky's concerns were ultimately realised, and Lody was subsequently engaged by a private opera company in Moscow.