Letter 2708
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Russian text (original)
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English translation
Copyright © 2010 by
Luis Sundkvist
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| 9 мая 1885 |
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9 May 1885
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| Дорогая Эмилия Карловна! |
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Dear Emiliia
Karlovna! |
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Ну, не курьёзны ли все эти qui pro quo, которые случаются одно за другим по поводу моего стремления повидаться с Вами! Вы не только удивитесь, но, может быть, и рассердитесь за то, что,
пробыв в Петербурге 4 суток, я не догадался зайти к Вам и справиться, уехали ли Вы в Ревель. Будучи вполне убеждён, что Вас в
Петербурге нет, я и не ходил на Офицерскую, а уезжая, поручил брату
Модесту навестить Вас после 8 мая и передать моё письмецо. Возвратившись же сюда, нахожу Ваше письмо, в коём Вы извещаете, что в Ревель не поедете.
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Well, I must say that all these qui[d] pro quo which are occurring one after the other as a result of my striving to see you are very curious indeed![1] You will not only be surprised but perhaps even angry with me, because, despite having
stayed in Petersburg for 4 days, I did not have the sense to drop in at your house and enquire whether you had left for Reval [= Tallinn]. Being absolutely convinced that you were not in
Petersburg, I didn't even go to Ofitserskaia [Street]. Instead, before leaving, I requested my brother
Modest to call on you after 8 May and hand over my little letter [2]. When I got back here, though, I found your letter informing me that you would not be going to
Reval [3].
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| Не буду Вам передавать, как я злился на себя за свою недогадливость, а на судьбу за то, что она точно в насмешку устраивает такие курьёзные недоразумения. Ничего не поделаешь! Видно, до осени не удастся Вас видеть, ибо весь этот месяц я просижу в
Москве (кроме 19, 20 и 21, которые проведу в
Смоленске) на Консерваторских экзаменах. По крайней мере дайте мне знать, не будете ли Вы проезжать через
Москву на юг! Я хоть выеду на вокзал приветствовать Вас! |
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I shall not describe to you how angry I was with myself for being so slow-witted, as well as with Fate for setting up these curious misunderstandings just as if it wanted to mock us. It can't be helped! It seems that I shall not be able to see you until the autumn, since I shall have to stay put in
Moscow during this whole month (except for the 19th, 20th, and 21st, which I shall spend in
Smolensk) in order to sit in on the Conservatory exams. Let me at least know whether you will be travelling to the south via
Moscow! I could then at least come to greet you at the station! |
| Спасибо Вам, дорогая, добрейшая, за Ваше
письмо-monstre по поводу Чародейки. Всё, что Вы говорите,
чрезвычайно метко и верно и, конечно, будет принято во внимание. |
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Thank you, my dear and most kind friend, for your
monster letter with regard to the Enchantress [4]. Everything that you say is
exceedingly apt and true, and will of course be taken into consideration. |
| Благодарю Вас всячески за
Татьяну. Как я обязан Вам, благодетельница! |
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I thank you in every way possible for Tat'iana. How indebted I am to you, my benefactress![5] |
| Я знал, что «Черевички» не пойдут в
Петербурге, да и не просил и не буду просить ставить их в будущем году. Невозможно требовать, чтобы каждую мою оперу сейчас же ставили. Я рад и тому, что в
Москве их поставят. Целую крепко Ваши ручки. Ваш |
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I knew already that Cherevichki would not be staged in
Petersburg—in fact, I hadn't even asked (and am not going to ask) for this opera to be produced this year. It is impossible to demand that every one of my operas should be staged immediately. Seeing them staged in
Moscow also makes me glad after all. I kiss your hands warmly. Yours, |
| П. Чайковский |
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P. Tchaikovsky |
| [На 1-й стр. Вверх ногами:] Княжич будет
тенор. |
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[written upside down on p. 1:] The prince's son will be a
tenor [6]. |
Notes:
- By "quid pro quo" (Latin: something for something; tit for tat) Tchaikovsky is referring to the way that a number of his and
Pavlovskaia's recent letters had
crossed in the post. Thus, in a letter of 25 April/7 May 1885 she had informed him that she would be away from
Saint Petersburg from 1/13 to 8/20 May. A few days later, however,
Pavlovskaia wrote again to say that she would not be leaving the imperial capital after all, but this letter did not reach Tchaikovsky at
Maidanovo, since he had left his house on 3/15 May for a brief visit to
Saint Petersburg. Thinking that
Pavlovskaia was not in town, Tchaikovsky wrote to her on 7/19 May
(letter 2705) expressing his regret that he had not been able to see her and saying that his brother
Modest would hand over the letter to her upon her return
[back]
- Letter 2705 to Emiliia
Pavlovskaia of 7/19 May 1885 [back]
- Pavlovskaia's letter (written no later than 7/19 May 1885) has been published in:
Чайковский на московской сцене (1940), p.
341–342 [back]
- Pavlovskaia's lengthy letter of 25 April/7 May 1885 in which she reflected on the figure of Nastas'ia in
Ippolit Shpazhinskii's play
The Enchantress and made a number of suggestions as to how her character should be changed in the libretto which
Shpazhinskii was drawing up for Tchaikovsky.
Pavlovskaia's letter is included in:
Чайковский на московской сцене
(1940), p. 335–340 [back]
- In her shorter letter (dated no later than 7/19 May 1885)
Pavlovskaia had written about the spectacular success of
Evgenii Onegin at the
Saint Petersburg Mariinskii Theatre (23 performances had been given in the course of just one season).
Pavlovskaia's interpretation of Tat'iana had been widely acclaimed
[back]
- At the end of her shorter letter (dated no later than 7/19 May 1885)
Pavlovskaia had asked whether the prince's son in the opera
The Enchantress would be a tenor or a baritone role
[back]
This page was last updated on 16 February 2011 |