Letter 4915a
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French text (original)
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English translation
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Kline,
près Moscou
13/25 Avril 1893 |
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Klin,
near Moscow
13/25 April 1893 |
| Très respecté Monsieur |
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Very respected Sir |
| J’ai reçu l’invitation de venir assister au Congres [=
Congrès] musical de Chicago, que Vous avez eu l’extrême attention de m’envoyer.
Je Vous remercie cordialement pour l’honneur que Vous avez bien voulu
me faire, mais malheureusement mes affaires et ma santé m’empèchent [=
m’empêchent] d’entreprendre ce trop lointain voyage et je dois renoncer
au plaisir d’admirer les merveilles de Votre exposition. Soyez certain,
Monsieur, que je le regrette infiniment. |
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I have received the invitation wishing me to take part
in the Musical Congress at Chicago, which you have the extreme attention
to send me [1]. I thank you
cordially for the honour intended, but unfortunately
my affairs and my health do not permit me to undertake so extended a journey,
and I am obliged to renounce the pleasure of admiring the marvels of your
exposition [2]. Be certain that I greatly regret my
inability. |
| Recevez l’assurance de ma profonde estime. |
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Receive the assurance of my profound esteem. |
| P. Tschaïkovsky |
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P. Tchaikovsky |
Notes:
- W. S. B. Mathews's
letter to Tchaikovsky from Chicago on 22 March 1893 [N.S.]
has been published (in Russian translation) in:
Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты (1970), p.
94–95. In this letter, Mathews
asked Tchaikovsky if he would like to take part in the "musical
congress" that was to be held during the Chicago World Fair that
summer, and, in particular, to give a lecture on the state of music in
Russia or on any other subject that interested him. The lecture was to
be between 20 and 30 minutes long, and could be delivered either in
English or in Russian (in the latter case, Tchaikovsky was requested
to send a copy of the text in advance so that it could be translated
into English and printed for the benefit of the English-speaking
participants of the congress). Mathews
explained that the World Fair Committee lacked the funds to cover all
his expenses, but that they could pay for his hotel accommodation in
Chicago for the duration of the congress [back]
- On 24 October 1892 [N.S.], the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus was celebrated
across the United States, and one of the main events organized in
connection with these festivities was the World Fair (called the "Columbian Exposition") which was to be held in
Chicago in the summer of 1893. On 4 January 1891 [N.S.],
Frederick Grant Gleason (1848–1903), an American composer and music critic for
The Chicago Tribune, had written to Tchaikovsky to inform him about the
forthcoming Columbian Exposition in 1893 and asking him for his views on
the latter. Gleason's letter has been published (in Russian
translation) in:
Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты (1970), p.
88–89. It is not clear whether Tchaikovsky answered this letter or whether he
met Gleason during his visit to America in April–May 1891. In May
1892, Tchaikovsky had already received an invitation to the Chicago
World Fair, specifically to appear as a conductor there. However, the
proposed terms proved to be unacceptable, and Tchaikovsky did not
travel to Chicago. At the Columbian Exposition in the summer of 1893 a
series of Russian concerts was conducted in Chicago by Vojtěch Hlaváč (Voitekh Glavach; 1849–1911).
The first one, on 5 June 1893 [N.S.],
opened with Tchaikovsky's festival overture The
Year 1812. Subsequent concerts featured the Elegia from
the Serenade for
String Orchestra, the Italian
Capriccio, the Slavonic
March, the Finale from the Symphony
No. 3, and other works. A choir conducted by Evgeniia Eduardovna
Lineva (1854–1919) performed the Chorus of Maidens from Evgenii
Onegin and a number of Tchaikovsky's sacred pieces. See the
information provided in:
Чайковский и зарубежные музыканты (1970), p.
95, n. 1 [back]
This page was last updated
on 26 February 2012
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