Letter 345

Tchaikovsky Research
Date 25 March/6 April 1874
Addressed to Sergey Taneyev
Where written Saint Petersburg
Language Russian
Autograph Location unknown
Publication Письма П. И. Чайковского и С. И. Танеева (1874-1893) [1916], p. 1
П. И. Чайковский. С. И. Танеев. Письма (1951), p. 3
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том V (1959), p. 346
Notes Manuscript copy in Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve

Text and Translation

Based on a handwritten copy in the Klin House-Museum Archive, which may contain differences in formatting and content from Tchaikovsky's original letter.

Russian text
(original)
English translation
By Luis Sundkvist
Питер
25 марта 1874 г[ода]

Серёжа! Если Вы имеете серьёзное намерение приехать в Питер для слушания моей оперы, то я очень прошу Вас не приводить сего намерения в исполнение. По правде сказать, ничего нет особенно хорошего в этой опере, и мне бы не хотелось, чтобы Вы из-за неё прикатили в Петербург. Жду с нетерпением Вашего письма, на которое отвечу Вам обстоятельно.

Ваш П. Чайковский

Поклон всем Вашим, а также и Масловым.

Piter
25 March 1874

Serezha! If you have the serious intention of coming to Piter in order to hear my opera [1], I very much urge you not to carry out this intention. To be honest, there is nothing particularly good in this opera, and I really would not want you to turn up in Petersburg for its sake. I impatiently await your letter, to which I shall reply in detail.

Yours P. Tchaikovsky

Greetings to all your family, as well as to the Maslovs [2].

Notes and References

  1. The premiere of The Oprichnik was due to take place at the Mariinsky Theatre on 12/24 April 1874, and Tchaikovsky had arrived in Saint Petersburg to attend the rehearsals a few days before writing this letter. From the very start of the rehearsals, Tchaikovsky had felt dissatisfied with his new opera.
  2. Like Taneyev, Tchaikovsky was very close to the Maslov family, which included the lawyer Fyodor Maslov and his sisters Anna, Varvara and Sofya.