Letter 4913
| Date | 11/23 April 1893 |
|---|---|
| Addressed to | Vladimir Davydov |
| Where written | Klin |
| Language | Russian |
| Autograph Location | Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve (a3, No. 148) |
| Publication | Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 3 (1902), p. 611 (abridged) П. И. Чайковский. Письма к близким. Избранное (1955), p. 535 (abridged) П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XVII (1981), p. 79 Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Letters to his family. An autobiography (1981), p. 537 (English translation; abridged) |
Text and Translation
| Russian text (original) |
English translation By Brett Langston |
11 апр[еля] [18]93 Ужасного в неудачном экзамене я ничего не нахожу. Но интересно знать, отчего и на чем именно ты срезался? Что касается того, что ты в этом видишь проявление свойства неудачника, то в чем же вообще до сих пор проявлялась эта неудачливость? Впрочем, обо всем этом так приятно было бы поболтать, а писать так трудно и так мало выскажешь. Я думаю, что вообще хорошо всегда отвечают вовсе не самые старательные, а те, которые обладают памятью и ещё какой-то особенной способностью, которую не знаю как назвать: именно способностью легко выучивать и никогда не теряться. Эта способность часто бывает у круглых болванов, так что, собственно, ...... отчего бы ...... тебе ...... её не иметь? ... Шутки в сторону, мне ужасно хочется быть в эту минуту в Петербурге и с тобой поговорить. И вообще я, по правде сказать, все это время скучаю и постоянно стремлюсь душой на северо-запад, к берегам Невы. Задачу свою исполняю пока аккуратно: каждый день рожаю по музыкальному чаду. Чада эти весьма скороспелые и неважные: у меня нет никакой охоты их творить, а творю для денег. Стараюсь только, чтобы не слишком скверно выходило. Скажи, пожалуйста, Моде, что мне ужасно досадно, что пропало моё письмо, где я воздавал хвалу его «Налю и Дамаянти». Черт знает, как пропадают письма!! Но быть может, потом он всё-таки получил? Я нахожу это либретто очень искусно сделанным, но мне этот сюжет не особенно по сердцу. Слишком далеко от жизни; мне нужен сюжет вроде «Сельской чести». Более чем когда-либо я злюсь на погоду и en froid с высшим начальством. Обнимаю сто тысяч раз! П. Чайковский Бедный Рудя!!! |
11 April 1893 I don't think it's terrible to fail an examination [1]. But it would be interesting to know why and how you failed? Could what you see as a sign of failure, actually be a sign of your recent misfortune in general? However, it would be nice if we were able to talk about this, as it is difficult to express oneself in the written word. I think that in general the good are not necessarily always the most hard working, but rather those blessed with a good memory and another special gift for which there is no single word: namely the ability to absorb information easily without losing concentration. A lot of all-round blockheads often have this capacity, such that come to think of it ..... why should ..... you ..... not have it?[2]. Joking aside, I want terribly to be with and talk with you right now in Petersburg. And if truth be told, I generally spend all my time yearning for and constantly directing my soul towards the north-west and the shores of the Neva. I've been performing my duties very punctiliously, and each day a musical offspring is born [3]. However, these offspring are very much immature and insubstantial; I have no inclination whatsoever to create them, and do so only for the money. I'm only trying to ensure that they don't turn out too badly. Please tell Modya that I am terribly upset that my letter, in which I praised his "Nala and Damayanti" has been lost [4]. Goodness knows how a letter can vanish! But perhaps he received it afterwards? I consider his libretto to be skilfully made, but this subject is not particularly close to my heart. It's too remote from life; I need a subject like "Cavalleria rusticana" [5]. More than ever I'm angry at the weather, and en froid with the powers that be. I hug you one hundred thousand times! P. Tchaikovsky Poor Rudy![6] |
Notes and References
- ↑ In an earlier undated letter Vladimir Davydov told his uncle that he had failed his criminal law examination.
- ↑ The gaps represented by ellipses in this sentence are given as in Tchaikovsky's original letter.
- ↑ Tchaikovsky is referring to his set of Eighteen Pieces, Op. 72, for piano.
- ↑ Modest Tchaikovsky had shown his brother a draft libretto for an opera based on Vasily Zhukovsky's Hindu-inspired poem Nala and Damayanti, which he had written for Anton Arensky (who eventually composed the opera in 1903).
- ↑ Tchaikovsky particularly admired Pietro Mascagni's opera Cavalleria rusticana, which he first heard in Warsaw on 29 December 1891/10 January 1892. He was very impressed by this work, which had taken the opera-houses of Europe by storm, and in Letter 4588 to Nikolay Konradi two days later he wrote: "The opera-house here is really quite good. Yesterday I saw for the first time the celebrated Cavalleria rusticana. This opera is indeed very remarkable and especially so thanks to the amazingly felicitous choice of subject. I wish Modya would be able to find me a subject of this kind".
- ↑ Vladimir Davydov's friend Baron Rudolph Buchshövden ("Rudy") had been receiving unwanted attention from his landlady, who was in love with him and would give him no rest.
