Letter 2008
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Russian text (original)
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English translation
Copyright © 2010 by Luis Sundkvist
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| Москва,
15 апреля 1882 |
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Moscow,
15 April 1882 |
| Добрейший Адольф
Давидович! |
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Most kind Adol'f
Davidovich! |
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Получил вчера вечером письмо Ваше и
прочёл его с невыразимым
удовольствием. Уж не знаю, как и
благодарить Вас за отеческие
попечения о моём концерте! Дай Бог
только, чтобы этот несчастный концерт,
имеющий свойство внушать к себе
неодолимое предубеждение, не помешал
Вашим успехам. Я не хочу лгать и скажу
Вам откровенно, что моему авторскому
интересу весьма желательно, чтобы
такой чудесный скрипач, как Вы,
проводил его в публику, — но, ей-Богу,
мне было бы крайне горестно узнать,
что из-за него Вы терпите неудачи и
газетную брань. Спасибо Вам, голубчик,
за Ваше дружеское расположение к моей
музыке и ко мне. Поверьте, что я очень,
очень ценю это, и хотя никогда не
вращаюсь среди общества заграничных
музыкантов, отлично понимаю, сколько
препятствий, затруднений и борьбы с
закоренелыми предубеждениями Вы
переносите из-за меня.
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I received your letter yesterday and read it with indescribable
delight. I just don't know how to thank you for your paternal
solicitude on behalf of my concerto! Would God only that this
ill-fated concerto, which has the property of instilling in people an
insurmountable prejudice against itself, does not hamper your
successes
[1]. I do not want to lie and
so I shall tell you frankly that as far as my authorial interests are
concerned, it is highly desirable that such a wonderful violinist as
you should present it to the public. But, truly, it would be extremely
saddening for me to find out that because of it you have to put up
with setbacks and abuse in the newspapers
[2]. Thank
you, dear fellow, for your friendly disposition towards my music and
towards me. Believe me: I appreciate this very, very much, and
although I never frequent the company of foreign musicians, I
understand full well how many obstacles and complications, and how
much of a struggle with deep-rooted prejudices, you are enduring on my
account.
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| Я приехал в Москву
на несколько дней, но сижу здесь уже
три недели, и Бог знает, когда
освобожусь. Меня задерживают здесь
разные корректуры, которых набралось
так много, что не предвижу, когда с
ними разделаюсь. Я редактирую Полное
собрание сочинений Бортнянского,
которое предпринял Юргенсон.
Так как щедрый П[етр]
И[ванович] превосходно оплачивает
мой редакторский труд, то жаловаться
не следовало бы, но сочинения
Бортнянского так бедны содержанием,
их так много и так они однообразны,
что по временам я прихожу в глубокое
отчаяние! Кроме того, вообще, Москва
(которую я люблю, но какой-то
болезненной любовью) производит на
меня тягостное впечатление. Столько
людей из числа тех, с которыми я жил в
дружеских отношениях, исчезли, а те,
которые остались, так состарились!
Грустно! Хочется поскорее в деревню.
Говорят, что Вас приглашают играть
здесь во время выставки; быть может, я
приеду послушать Вас. Выставка
обещает быть интересной, и нужно
будет приехать взглянуть на неё. |
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I came to Moscow
just to stay for a few days, but now I have already been stuck here
for three weeks, and God knows when I shall become free. I am
detained here by the need to go over various proofs, of which so
many have accumulated that I cannot foresee when I shall be through
with them. I am editing Bortnianskii's Complete Works [Complete
Church Music] for an edition undertaken by Jurgenson.
Since the generous Petr
Ivanovich is paying me magnificently for my editorial work, I
shouldn't be complaining, but Bortnianskii's works are so poor in
content, there are so many of them and so monotonous are they, that
from time to time I sink into profound despair! Moreover, Moscow
(a city which I love, though with a kind of painful love) is on the
whole making a grievous impression on me. So many people from among
those with whom I was on friendly terms when I lived here have
disappeared, and those who are left have so aged! It is sad! I want
to leave for the country as soon as possible. I have heard that you
are being invited to play here during the Exhibition. Perhaps I
shall come to hear you. The Exhibition promises to be interesting,
and I shall have to come and take a look at it
[3]. |
| Буду ждать от Вас
письмеца в Каменку. От всей души
желаю Вам всякого успеха, милый друг,
и ещё, и ещё, и ещё благодарю Вас за
Вашу дружбу. Супруге Вашей передайте
мои приветствия. |
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I shall be expecting a little letter
from you addressed to Kamenka.
With all my heart I wish you every possible success, dear friend,
and I thank you again and again and again for your friendship. Give
my regards to your wife [Anna]. |
| Ваш П. Чайковский |
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Yours, P. Tchaikovsky |
Notes:
- In a letter from London
on 8/20 April 1882 Adolph Brodsky
informed Tchaikovsky that he had recently played the Violin
Concerto at a small musical gathering in the house of the
impresario Herman Franke (who had settled in England some eight years
earlier and had established, in 1879, a series of "Orchestral
Festival Concerts" at the St. James's Hall conducted by Hans
Richter, which were also known as "Richter Concerts"), and
that the concerto had made such an impression on everyone present that
Franke, who had previously told Brodsky
that there was no slot available for him to play in London
that season, had immediately decided to change the programme of the
forthcoming "Richter concert" on 8 May 1882 [N.S.]
and to engage Brodsky
to perform Tchaikovsky's Violin
Concerto on that date. Brodsky's
letter has been published in: Elena Biteriakova and Marina Stroganova
(eds), Анна Бродская (Скадовская).
Воспоминания о русском доме. Адольф
Бродский, Петр Чайковский, Эдвард Григ
в мемуарах, дневниках, письмах (Feodosia
/ Moscow, 2006), p. 109–111 [back]
- In his letter of 8/20 April 1882 Brodsky
had written that on 8 May 1882 [N.S.],
the date that he was scheduled to play the Violin
Concerto at the St. James's Hall, the first production in England
of Wagner's Ring cycle
was due to open at Covent Garden, and that all the critics would
probably be going to the opera-house. However, he added that some
newspapers were likely to have "deputy critics" whom they
would dispatch to the St. James's Hall concert all the same.
"Perhaps London also has
its very own Hanslick," Brodsky
noted, "and in that case we may hope that his substitute doesn't
turn out to be such a swine". Brodsky
was here alluding to Eduard Hanslick's notorious review of the world
premiere of the Violin
Concerto in Vienna on 22 November/4 December
1882, in which that influential critic had dismissed most of the
concerto as "stinking music". See letter
1924 to Brodsky,
1/13 January 1882, and the accompanying notes [back]
- The Musical Committee of the All-Russian Arts
and Industrial Exhibition in Moscow
invited Brodsky to
perform at one of the concerts held under its auspices that summer. Brodsky
accepted the invitation, and on 8/20 August 1882, as part of the Exhibition's sixth
concert conducted by Ippolit
Al'tani, he gave the first performance in Russia of the Violin
Concerto. Tchaikovsky was present, and after the performance of
his concerto he was called out onto the podium several times [back]
This page was last updated on 09 February 2011 |