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.