Aleksandra Davydova
Younger sister of the composer (b. 28 December 1841/9 January 1842 in Votkinsk; d. 28 March/9 April 1891 in Kamenka), born Aleksandra Ilinichna Chaykovskaya (Апександра Ильинична Чайковская); known after her marriage as Aleksandra Ilinichna Davydova (Апександра Ильинична Давыдова). She was known affectionately to the composer as "Sasha" (Шаша).
Aleksandra was the fourth child of Ilya Tchaikovsky (1795–1880) and his wife Aleksandra (b. Assier, 1812–1854).
On 6/18 November 1860 she married Lev Davydov (1837–1896), and they had seven children: Tatyana (1861–1887); Vera (1863–1888); Anna (1864–1942); Natalya (1868–1956); Dmitry (1870–1929); Vladimir (1871–1906); and Yury (1876–1965).
Tchaikovsky spent a great deal of time with the Davydov family on their estates at Kamenka and Verbovka, where many of his works were composed.
Aleksandra Davydova died on 28 March/9 April 1891 at Kamenka, following a long period of ill health. She was buried next to her daughter Tatyana in the cemetery at the Aleksandr Nevsky Monastery in Saint Petersburg, although neither grave site has survived.
Dedications
In 1870, Tchaikovsky dedicated his Valse-Scherzo for piano, Op. 7, "to Aleksandra Ilinichna Davydova".
Correspondence with Tchaikovsky
78 letters from Tchaikovsky to his sister Aleksandra have survived, dating from 1861 to 1879, of which those highlighted in bold have been translated into English on this website:
- Letter 54 – 10/22 March 1861, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 55 – 9/21 June 1861, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 60 – 23 October/4 November 1861, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 61 – 4/16 December 1861, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 62 – 12/24 April 1862, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 63 – 10/22 September 1862, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 66 – 15/27 April 1863, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 68 – 28 July/9 August 1864, from Trostinets
- Letter 70 – 24 August/5 September 1865, from Kiev
- Letter 71 – 1/13 September 1865, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 72 – 8/20 September 1865, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 73 – early/mid-October 1865, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 75 – 22 October/3 November 1865, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 80 – 15/27 January 1866, from Moscow (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and Lev Davydov)
- Letter 86 – 7/19 February 1866, from Moscow
- Letter 90 – 8/20 April 1866, from Moscow (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and Lev Davydov)
- Letter 94 – 14/26 May 1866, from Moscow
- Letter 95 – 7/19 June 1866, from Peterhof
- Letter 100 – 20 July/1 August 1867, from Hapsal
- Letter 101 – 8/20 August 1867, from Hapsal
- Letter 106 – 11/23 October 1867, from Moscow
- Letter 116 – 16/28 April 1868, from Moscow
- Letter 117 – 20 July/1 August 1868, from Paris
- Letter 120 – 24 September/6 October 1868, from Moscow
- Letter 149 – 15/27 or 16/28 September 1869, from Moscow
- Letter 158 – 15/27 November 1869, from Moscow
- Letter 169 – 1931 December 1869, from Moscow
- Letter 179 – 5/17 February 1870, from Moscow
- Letter 199 – 24 June/6 July 1870, from Soden
- Letter 219 – 20 December 1870/1 January 1871, from Moscow
- Letter 229 – 11/23 February 1871, from Moscow
- Letter 244 – 9/21 December 1871, from Moscow
- Letter 285 – 9/21 January 1873, from Moscow
- Letter 301 – 27 April/9 May 1873, from Moscow (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and Modest Tchaikovsky)
- Letter 404 – 2/14 June 1875, from Usovo
- Letter 487 – 13/25 July 1876, from Lyons
- Letter 499 – 20 September/2 October 1876, from Moscow
- Letter 503 – 6/18 October 1876, from Moscow
- Letter 513 – 8/20 November 1876, from Moscow
- Letter 523 – 18/30 December 1876, from Moscow (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and Lev Davydov)
- Letter 526 – 23 December 1876/4 January 1877, from Moscow
- Letter 531 – 1/13 January 1877, from Moscow
- Letter 532 – 2/14 January 1877, from Moscow
- Letter 534 – 4/16 January 1877, from Moscow
- Letter 537 – 19/31 January 1877, from Moscow
- Letter 543 – 22 February/6 March 1877, from Moscow
- Letter 575 – 5/17 July 1877, from Moscow (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and Lev Davydov)
- Letter 587 – 20 July/1 August 1877, from Moscow
- Letter 612 – 9/21 October 1877, from Geneva
- Letter 615 – 11/23 October 1877, from Clarens
- Letter 618 – 12/24 October 1877, from Clarens
- Letter 627 – 26 October/7 November 1877, from Clarens
- Letter 628 – 26 October/7 November or 27 October/8 November 1877, from Clarens
- Letter 634 – 31 October/12 November 1877, from Clarens
- Letter 641 – 8/20 November–9/21 November 1877, from Rome
- Letter 645 – 12/24 November 1877, from Venice
- Letter 649 – 18/30 November 1877, from Venice
- Letter 654 – 21 November/3 December 1877, from Vienna
- Letter 667 – 2/14 December 1877, from Venice (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and Lev Davydov)
- Letter 682 – 8/20 December 1877, from Venice
- Letter 688 – 12/24 December 1877, from Venice
- Letter 704 – 24 December 1877/5 January 1878, from San Remo
- Letter 717 – 5/17 January 1878, from San Remo
- Letter 774 – 28 February/12 March 1878, from Clarens
- Letter 786 – 14/26 March 1878, from Clarens
- Letter 831 – 18/30 May 1878, from Brailov
- Letter 839 – 23 May/4 June 1878, from Brailov
- Letter 845 – 28 May/9 June 1878, from Brailov
- Letter 908 – 8/20 September 1878, from Saint Petersburg (addressed jointly to Aleksandra and Lev Davydov)
- Letter 954 – 27 October/8 November 1878, from Saint Petersburg
- Letter 979 – 25 November/7 December 1878, from Florence
- Letter 1078 – 21 January/2 February 1879, from Clarens
- Letter 1109 – 15/27 February 1879, from Paris
- Letter 1214 – 21 June/3 July 1879, from Kiev
- Letter 1215 – 23 June/5 July 1879, from Nizy
- Letter 1220 – 29 June/11 July 1879, from Nizy
- Letter 1222 – 3/15 July 1879, from Nizy
- Letter 1288 – 8/20 September 1879, from Saint Petersburg
54 letters from Aleksandra Davydova to the composer, dating from 1866 to 1889, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (a4, Nos. 791, 836–887, and 3582) [1].
Bibliography
Notes and References
- ↑ Including one letter from 1866 written jointly by Aleksandra and her husband Lev, and another from 1891 written by Aleksandra and Natalya Plesskaya.
