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Letter 2677

Date1/13 April 1885
Addressed toEmiliia Pavlovskaia
Where writtenSaint Petersburg
LanguageRussian
Autograph LocationMoscow: A. A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum (Pavlovskaia collection)
PublicationЧайковский на Московской сцене (1940), p. 329
П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIII (1971), p. 53–54.

Russian text (original)

English translation
Copyright © 2010 by Luis Sundkvist

1-го апреля 1885 г. 1 April 1885
Дорогая Эмилия Карловна! Dear Emiliia Karlovna!
Вы совершенно правы, — я сам виноват, что уезжаю, не повидав Вас. Но я был так уверен, что в этот час непременно Вас застану; а уж сегодня, зная, что Вы поёте вечером, никак не ожидал, что опять придётся ограничиться оставлением карточки. К моей величайшей досаде, я должен сегодня уехать, ибо завтра в Москве в качестве одного из Директоров Муз[ыкального] Общ[ества] обязан встречать Вел[икого] Князя. Но я непременно Вас увижу до окончания сезона, ибо приеду в Петербург ещё раз. Спасибо Вам, добрейшая, дорогая, милая благодетельница, за чудный портрет. Лучшего подарка нельзя было мне сделать, как столь удачное изображение моей Татьяны, Марии, будущей Оксаны, Чародейки и т. д. и т. д. Будьте здоровы, покойны, счастливы! Если найдётся свободная минуточка, напишите в более или менее близком будущем (Клин, Майданово) Вашему горячо Вас любящему и верному другу. You are quite right: it is my own fault that I am leaving without having seen you. But I was so certain that I would without fail find you at home at that time of the day. As for today, knowing that you would be singing in the evening, I was quite surprised when once again I had to restrict myself to leaving my visiting card. To my great annoyance, I must leave today because in my capacity as one of the directors of the [Imperial] Musical Society I am obliged to meet the Grand Duke [Konstantin Nikolaevich] in Moscow tomorrow. However, I shall most certainly see you before the end of the season, because I will be coming to Petersburg once again. Thank you, my ever so kind, dear, and sweet benefactress for your wonderful portrait [1]. I could not have received a better present than this so vivid likeness of my Tat'iana, Mariia, my future Oksana, Enchantress etc. etc. May you be healthy, calm, and happy! If you have a minute to spare, do write in the more or less near future (to Klin, Maidanovo) to your loyal friend who loves you ardently.
П. Чайковский P. Tchaikovsky
Поздравляю с новым контрактом. Сергею Евграфовичу дружески кланяюсь. Congratulations on the new contract. Give Sergei Evgrafovich[2] my cordial regards.

Notes:
  1. When writing to Emiliia Pavlovskaia Tchaikovsky frequently called her his "benefactress", by which he meant mainly the great service which she had rendered him with her fine performance as Mariia at the première of Mazepa. Together with the letter (written on 30 March/11 April or 31 March/12 April 1885) to which Tchaikovsky is replying here, Pavlovskaia had enclosed a photograph of herself which she had had taken specially for Tchaikovsky. Pavlovskaia's letter has been published in: Чайковский на московской сцене (1940), p. 328 [back]
  2. Emiliia Pavlovskaia's husband, Sergei Evgrafovich Pavlovskii (1846–1915), was also a singer (baritone) and a member of the Saint Petersburg Mariinskii Theatre's troupe [back]

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