Letter 3938
|
Russian text (original)
|
|
English translation
Copyright © 2010 by Luis Sundkvist
|
|
|
|
| Москва,
15 сентября 18[89] |
|
Moscow,
15 September 1889 |
| Милый друг мой! |
|
My dear friend! |
|
Я оттого тебе не писал, что был страшно
занят инструментовкой балета, а дело
наше считал окончательно решённым и
устроенным. Итак, всё остаётся в том
виде, как мы порешили, и мне только
нужно просить у тебя ещё раз прощение
за то, что я напутал, то есть вместо
трёх вечеров объявил, что вы
соглашаетесь на четыре вечера. Но, Бог
даст, сборы будут великолепны, и вы не
останетесь внакладе.
|
|
The reason I haven't written to you is because I have been terribly
busy with the instrumentation of my ballet [The Sleeping Beauty],
and I considered our matter to have been finally decided and settled.
And so, everything remains as we had decided, and I just have to ask
once again for your forgiveness for having messed things up—that is,
for saying that you had agreed to give four soirées rather than
three. However, God permitting, the takings will be splendid, and you
won't be none the worse off for it [1].
|
| По газетам заключаю, что с
Петербургом ты устроился. Насчёт
участия пианистов тоже прошу не
сердиться, но имей в виду, что
заинтересовать их твоим квартетом
было политично. Двое из них здесь
очень влиятельны и ловки, и
значительная часть публики будет ими
привлечена к квартету. Притом же
народ это хороший и очень дорожащий
честью играть с тобой. Относительно
вещей, которые они выбрали, я напишу
тебе скорее, дня через два. |
|
Judging from the newspapers, I infer that you have
managed to come to terms with Petersburg
[2].
Regarding the pianists' participation, I ask you again not to be
angry with me:[3]
do bear in mind that it was judicious to get them interested in your
quartet. Two of them are very influential here and clever [4],
and they will be able to attract a considerable proportion of the
public to your quartet's performances. Besides, they are a good
bunch and they very much appreciate the honour of playing with you.
With regard to the works they've chosen, I shall write to you about
this as soon as possible, in two days' time or so. |
| Итак, в октябре
увидимся; я очень этому радуюсь. |
|
And so, we shall meet in October—I am
greatly looking forward to this. |
| Эрдмансдёрфер
личность, несомненно, мелкая,
склонная к дрязгам и сплетням, и для
нас великое счастье, что мы от этой
стервы отделались. Жена же его просто
невыносима, ибо элемент её — интрига
и всякие подвохи. |
|
Erdmannsdörfer's
is undoubtedly a petty character, with a penchant for squabbles and
gossip, and for us it is very fortunate that we have got rid of that
rotter [5].
His wife [Pauline]
is simply unbearable, because her natural element is intrigue and
all kinds of dirty tricks. |
| Обнимаю тебя крепко! О нотах
для концерта я позабочусь. В
программе я поставил мелкие пьесы;
пожалуйста, выбери без оркестра. |
|
I embrace you warmly! I'll take care of the music
for the concert [6].
I have included small pieces in the programme: please choose some
without orchestral accompaniment [7]. |
| Твой П. Чайковский |
|
Yours, P. Tchaikovsky
|
| Членам квартета поклон. |
|
My regards to all the members of the quartet.
|
Notes:
- Earlier that summer Tchaikovsky and Adolph
Brodsky had been corresponding with regard to the invitation which
the Russian Musical Society had extended to the "Leipzig Quartet" (Brodsky,
first violin; Hans Becker, second violin; Ottokar Nováček, viola; and Julius Klengel,
cello) to come to Moscow and
give a series of performances during the forthcoming 1889/90 concert
season. It had been agreed that they would play in Moscow
in late October/early November 1889, and that in between these
performances, on 28 October/9 November, Brodsky
would appear as the soloist in Tchaikovsky's Violin
Concerto at an RMS symphonic concert in Moscow.
The quartet was also hoping to perform in Saint
Petersburg. Brodsky
had originally assumed that they would be appearing at just three
chamber music
soirées in Moscow, but
at a meeting of the RMS's board of directors Tchaikovsky had then
stated that it would be four soirées. Moreover, in letter
3898 to Brodsky on
9/21 July, Tchaikovsky also explained that the board of directors had
decided that the quartet would have to share the evening with a
pianist on each of those four occasions. In a letter to the
composer from the estate of Belozerka in Kherson province on 15/27
July 1889, Brodsky said
that he had nothing against these arrangements and asked what the
pianists were intending to play, adding that he would prefer it if
they did not choose any works by Beethoven
because he and his colleagues from Leipzig
were intending to feature a late Beethoven
string quartet at each one of the
soirées. He also raised the possibility that Aleksandr
Ziloti might join him and Klengel to perform Tchaikovsky's Piano
Trio. In his most recent letter from Leipzig
on 6/18 September 1889 Brodsky
had said that he was alarmed not to have received any news from
Tchaikovsky since July (letter 3898), and he
asked him again which works the pianists had selected. Both of Brodsky's
letters have 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. 131–132, p.
133 [back]
- Brodsky
was negotiating directly with Eugen
Albrecht, director of the Saint
Petersburg Chamber Music Society, regarding the possibility of the
"Leipzig Quartet"
giving a performance in the imperial capital. They would in fact play
there on 16/28 November 1889 [back]
- Also taking part at the chamber music
soirées in Moscow
featuring the "Leipzig Quartet", on 31 October/12 November, 3/15, 7/19, and 10/22
November 1889, were the following pianists: Aleksandr
Ziloti, Paul Pabst, Vasilii
Safonov, and Sergei
Taneev. Note 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. 243 [back]
- Tchaikovsky is evidently referring here to Safonov,
the new director of the Moscow
Conservatory, and to Taneev,
who had stood down from that post earlier in the spring but who still
commanded great respect in the musical world of Moscow
[back]
- In his letter to Tchaikovsky from Leipzig
on 6/18 September 1889 Brodsky
wrote about a recent meeting he had had with Max
Erdmannsdörfer while performing at the Hamburg
Music Festival. The violinist referred to Erdmannsdörfer
as a "real swine" who had not only been
"intriguing" against him without any ostensible reason, but
who had also "slandered" him to others [back]
- Brodsky
intended to play Tchaikovsky's Violin
Concerto at the RMS concert on 28 October/9 November 1889 which
was to be conducted by the composer. In a letter to him from Kerch (in
Crimea) on 29 June/11 July 1889 Brodsky
explained that after performing the concerto at an RMS concert in Saint
Petersburg two years earlier (on 31 January/12 February 1887, with
Anton Rubinstein
conducting) he had left behind his folder with the orchestral parts
and the piano reduction of the concerto, and that the RMS staff there
had failed to send this folder to him in Leipzig
as they had promised. As a result, Brodsky
added, he had been unable to perform the concerto ever since then. 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. 129–130 [back]
- At the RMS concert in Moscow
conducted by Tchaikovsky on 28 October/9 November 1889, apart from the
Violin Concerto, Brodsky
performed an Adagio by Spohr and
a Spanish Dance by Sarasate (both for solo violin) [back]
This page was last updated on 10 February 2011 |