Letter 138
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Russian text (original)
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English translation
Copyright © 2010 by Luis Sundkvist |
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3 мая 1869 г.
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3 May 1869
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| Добрейший
Милий Алексеевич! |
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Most kind
Mily Alekseyevich! |
| Очень виноват перед Вами, что так давно не писал и своим
долгим молчаньем, быть может, дал Вам повод думать, что я обиделся Вашим
письмом, где Вы критикуете «Фатум». С Вашими замечаниями
об этой стряпне я в глубине души согласен совершенно, но, признаюсь, был
бы весьма счастлив, если бы Вы хоть что-нибудь и хотя бы слегка в ней
похвалили; в Вашем же письме одни только, хотя и справедливые, порицания;
пилюля Ваша не позлащена ни на волос. Признаюсь, я не пришёл в восторг
от Вашего отзыва, но нимало не обиделся и отдал в душе честь искренней
прямоте, которая составляет одну из прелестнейших черт Вашей музыкальной
личности. Посвящения я, разумеется, не беру назад, но надеюсь когда-нибудь
написать для Вас что-нибудь получше |
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I owe you a great apology for not having written for
such a long time. My long silence has perhaps given you reason to suppose
that I was offended by your letter, in which you criticized Fatum [1]. In my
heart of hearts I agree completely with your remarks about this concoction,
though I must confess that I would have been very happy if you had praised
something in it at least, even if only faintly. Your letter, however,
contains only criticisms (albeit legitimate ones); you have not sugared
the pill one bit. I must confess that I did not go into raptures over
your comments, but in no way did I feel offended, and inwardly I saluted
the plain-spoken frankness which constitutes one of the most delightful
traits of your musical personality. It goes without saying that I shall
not retract the dedication, but I do hope to write something a bit better
for you some day [2].
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| Реквием Берлиоза
был исполнен перед довольно многочисленной публикой и довольно опрятно,
хотя далеко не очень хорошо. Хор был положительно слаб. Как эта вещь хороша!
И как она легка в исполнении; не понимаю, почему её так редко исполняют.
Она требует больших масс и трудна только в этом смысле; но в Петербурге так много
певчих и военных оркестров, что эти трудности ничего не значат, и я убеждён,
что Вы её когда-нибудь исполните. Известие о том, что с Вами сделала прекрасная
Yelena,
возмутило меня и Рубинштейна
до последней степени; я даже решился печатно высказаться об этом необыкновенно
подлом поступке, и прошу Вас непременно прочесть в завтрашнем № «Современной
летописи» мою статейку
довольно ругательного свойства. Меня в особенно радует то, что La belle
Hélène приезжает в Москву в день
выхода газеты с моей статейкой |
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Berlioz's Requiem was performed in front of a quite numerous audience, and
it was done so fairly decently, though by no means was it a very good
performance [3].
The chorus was downright poor. How fine this work is! And how easy it
is to perform. I don't understand why it is performed so rarely. It requires
large [orchestral and choral] masses and is difficult only in that sense.
In Petersburg, however,
there are so many choristers and military orchestras that these difficulties
should amount to nothing, and I am sure that you will conduct the Requiem
some day. The news about what the fair Helen has done to you roused
my indignation, and Rubinstein's,
to the utmost degree
[4]. I even decided to speak out in print about this extraordinarily
mean action, and I would ask you to read without fail my rather invective little article in
tomorrow's issue of the Contemporary Chronicle [5]. I am
particularly glad over the fact that La belle Hélène will be arriving
in Moscow on the day that the newspaper
containing my little article is to come out |
| Я занимаюсь теперь инструментовкой моей оперы «Ундина»; одно
действие уже готово; два остальных буду инструментовать летом. |
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I am now occupied with the instrumentation of my opera Undina:
one act is already ready, and I shall orchestrate the remaining two over
the summer |
| Юргенсон
поручает мне справиться у Вас: когда будет готов «Садко» |
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Jurgenson
has asked me to find out from you: when will Sadko be ready? [6]. |
| Кланяйтесь, пожалуйста, крепко её автору и остальным
членам Вашего якобинского кружка |
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Please send my warm regard to its author and the other
members of your Jacobin circle [7]. |
| Крепко жму Вашу руку и прошу верить в неизменную
любовь |
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I shake your hand tightly and ask you to believe in
the unchanging love of |
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Вашего П. Чайковского
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Yours P. Tchaikovsky
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| Рубинштейн
будет Вам писать завтра |
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Rubinstein
will write to you tomorrow. |
Notes:
- Balakirev
had conducted the first performance in Saint Petersburg of Tchaikovsky's
symphonic fantasia
Fatum on 17/29 March 1869. In a letter to Tchaikovsky dated 31 March/12
April 1869, Balakirev explained
quite frankly that he didn't like the work, which he considered to lack
inner unity and coherence. See Balakirev's letter in:
Милий Алексеевич Балакирев. Воспоминания и письма (1962), p. 131–132 [back]
- Tchaikovsky soon made good this promise, because
later that year he would compose his overture-fantasia Romeo and Juliet,
which was dedicated to Balakirev [back]
- Berlioz's Requiem was performed at an extraordinary Russian Musical Society
concert which was held in Moscow
on 22 April/4 May 1869 in memory of the late French master [back]
- Tchaikovsky is referring to the dismissal of Balakirev as conductor of
the Russian Musical Society concerts in Saint Petersburg—a dismissal
that was engineered partly by
Grand Duchess Yelena Pavlovna, who had little sympathy for Balakirev's programming
of contemporary Russian and foreign works as opposed to the classical repertoire
which she had been brought up on in her youth in Germany. Tchaikovsky calls
the Grand Duchess "the fair
Helen" in allusion to Offenbach's famous operetta La belle Hélène,
which was first staged in Saint
Petersburg in 1867 [back]
- Tchaikovsky's article 'A Voice from Moscow's Musical
World' (TH 258) was published in the 4 May 1869 [O.S.] issue
of the Moscow-based journal Contemporary
Chronicle [back]
- Jurgenson
had undertaken to publish Rimsky-Korsakov's
symphonic tableau Sadko. In his letter to Tchaikovsky of 31 March/12
April 1869, Balakirev mentioned
that a fair copy was being made of the score of Sadko and that it
would soon be dispatched to Moscow.
See:
Милий Алексеевич Балакирев. Воспоминания и письма (1962), p. 132 [back]
- Tchaikovsky is ironically comparing the composers
of the "Mighty Handful" (also known as the "Mighty Five") and their musical
radicalism to the French Revolutionary Jacobin Club [back]
This page was last updated
on 10 February 2013
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