Letter 3499
| Date | 19 February/2 March 1888 |
|---|---|
| Addressed to | Edvard Grieg |
| Where written | Paris |
| Language | German |
| Autograph Location | Bergen (Norway): Offentlige Bibliotek |
| Publication | Советская музыка (1940), No. 5–6, p. 145–147 Эдвард Григ. Очерк жизни и творчества (1962), p. 746–747 (Russian translation) П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIV (1974), p. 368–369 |
Text and Translation
| German text (original) |
English translation By Brett Langston |
Paris 2 März 1888 Lieber, guter Freund!
Ich war sehr erfreut Ihre Zeilen zu bekommen. Ich denke so oft an meinen lieben Söhnchen und bin so froh dass ich ihn und auch die liebe «Tochterchen» kennen gelernt habe. Von Prag habe ich Ihnen garnichts zu erzählen da ich hoffe dass Siloti hat Ihnen gesagt wie da alles grossartig war. Mein Concert in Paris wird erst am Sontag 4 März stattfinden. Es waren schon mehrere Proben und alles geht sehr schön. Da die Franzosen jetzt sehr viel für Russen schwärmen, so bin ich hier überall sehr und sogar zu freundlich empfangen und bin von Besuchen, Dejeuners, Diners, soirées und so weiter so müde, dass zuweilen bin ich ganz Caput und fühle mich sehr schlecht. Wissen Sie dass Sie in Paris sehr popülair sind? In fast allen Concerten wird etwas von Ihnen gespielt. Colonne war sehr erfreut wenn er erfuhr von mir, dass Sie selbst Ihr Concert spielen können. Sie werden gewiss von Ihm eine Einladung bekommen; er hat Sie sehr gern. Von Prag habe Ich an Francesko Berger telegraphirt, dass ich am 22 März mit Freund Griеg auftreten möchte. Aber er antwortete mir es wäre unmöglich, da Sie erst am 3 Mai spielen werden; ich aber werde da meine «Serenade» und Suite am 22 März dirigieren. Das ist sehr traurig dass wir uns nicht in London sehen werden. Bitte, schreiben Sie an Swendsen, dass ich ihn herzlichst danke und gewiss bin bereit im nächsten Jahre bei ihm zu mitwirken. Gгüssen Sie Ihre Frau, gгüssen Sie die Brodsky und alle Freunde. Wie oft erinnere ich mich an Sie alle! Auf Wiedersehen mein guter, lieber Grieg! Ich schreibe Ihnen noch einmal nach dem Concerte. Р. Tschaikovsky Verzeihen Sie mir meine deutsche Sprache. |
Paris 2 March 1888 Dear, good friend!
I was very pleased to receive your lines [1]. I often think about my dear little son and am so glad to have met him and dear "little daughter" [2]. As for Prague, I shall say nothing, in the hope that Ziloti has told you how superb it all was. My concert in Paris will take place on Sunday 4 March. There have already been a few rehearsals and everything is going very well. Since the French are now so very effusive towards Russians, then here everywhere I go here I am very or even too well received, and I am so tired of visits, dinners, suppers, and so on, that I am entirely broken and feel awful. Are you aware of how popular you are in Paris? Something of yours is played at almost every concert. Colonne was very pleased to learn from me that you yourself can play your concerto [3]. You shall surely be receiving an invitation from him; he likes you very much. In Prague I telegraphed Francesko Berger, that I wanted to appear with my Friend Grieg on 22 March [4]. But he replied [5] that it would be impossible for you to perform until 3 May ; but I will be there on 22 March to conduct my "Serenade" and Suite [6]. It is very sad that we shall not see each other in London. Please, write to Svendsen that I thank him sincerely, and I am certainly ready to participate next year [7]. Greetings to your wife, greetings to Brodsky and all our friends. How often I remember you all! Until we meet my good, dear Grieg! I shall write to you again after the concert. P. Tchaikovsky Forgive me for my German language. |
Notes and References
- ↑ Letter from Edvard Grieg to Tchaikovsky, dated 15/27 February 1888. Published in Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты (1970), p. 206.
- ↑ Tchaikovsky is referring to an incident at a concert in Leipzig, described in his Autobiographical Account of a Tour Abroad in the Year 1888: "I was sitting on the podium, in full view of the audience, with Grieg and his wife seated next to me. A very nice music critic called Fritsche told me later how a lady, pointing to the Griegs and me, had told her daughter: "Look, darling, that's Tchaikovsky, and next to him are his children!" She had said this quite seriously, and I am not at all surprised, since I am quite grey and old-looking, whereas Grieg, who is 45, and his wife from a distance really do look very youthful and small".
- ↑ Grieg's famous Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 (1868).
- ↑ This telegram has not survived.
- ↑ Letter from Francesco Berger to Tchaikovsky dated 3/15 February 1888.
- ↑ The Serenade for Strings, Op. 48, and Suite No. 3, Op. 55.
- ↑ In his letter of 15/27 February 1888, Grieg had informed Tchaikovsky that the Norwegian composer and conductor Johan Svendsen (1840-1911) intended to invite Tchaikovsky to conduct in the Danish or Norwegian capitals in 1889. Ultimately Tchaikovsky never visited either city.
