TCHAIKOVSKY PIOTR ILLICH: (1840-1893) Russian Composer. A very fine A.L.S., `P. Tchaikovsky

TCHAIKOVSKY PIOTR ILLICH: (1840-1893) Russian Composer. A very fine A.L.S., `P. Tchaikovsky

‘I could not, I feel it, be useful either to the art to which I have dedicated my life, or to myself...’

 

TCHAIKOVSKY PIOTR ILLICH: (1840-1893) Russian Composer. A very fine A.L.S., `P. Tchaikovsky´, two pages, 4to, San Remo, 1st/13<sup>th</sup> January 1878, to a high representative of the 1878 “Exposition Universelle” in Paris, in French. Tchaikovsky responds to his correspondent´s proposal which was intending to appoint him as Delegate of the Russian musical art in Paris during the exhibition, stating in part `Je prends encore la plume pour vous prier de vouloir bien croire aux regrets sinceres que j´éprouve en refusant l´honneur de la Délégation au Comité de l´Exposition. Ce sont bien des raisons majeures que celles qui me forcent de renoncer au Plaisir et a l´honneur de representer l´art musical russe a Paris´ (“I take up my pen again to ask you to believe in the sincere regrets I feel in refusing the honour of the Delegation to the Exhibition Committee. These are many major reasons that force me to renounce to the pleasure and the honour of representing the Russian musical art in Paris”) Tchaikovsky explains how important Paris has always been for him, saying `…il peut vous attester que mon voeu le plus cher était toujours celui de me faire connaitre au monde musical Parisien, et certes l´occasion était bonne´ (“…he can attest to you that my dearest wish has always been to make myself known to the Parisian musical world, and certainly the occasion was good”) Tchaikovsky further refers to the reasons which oblige him to refuse, to his health, and expresses on a very important statement what his life commitment is, stating in part `…malade comme je le suis, ayant a lutter contre un mal auquel l´isolement et un repos complet peuvent seuls porter remède, je ne pourrais, je le sens bien, être utile ni à l´art auquel j´ai voué ma vie, ni à moi même, si j´acceptais enc e moment une tâche qui est au-dessus de mes forces´ (“…sick as I am, having to struggle against an illness to which only isolation and complete rest can remedy, I could not, I feel it, be useful either to the art to which I have dedicated my life, or to myself, if I accepted at this moment a task that is beyond my strength”) Further again Tchaikovsky responds to his correspondent´s question regarding another Russian candidate, explaining that this Russian artist is totally unknown in Russia, and suggests that `Le futur délégué russe doit être désigné par les sommités musicales russes résidant soit à Petersbourg, soit à Moscou. Autrement on pourrait bien tomber sur quelqu´un qui chercherait cette nomination seulement dans le but de jouir de la rétribution que le Ministre des Finances a fixé pour le délégué musical, et non dans celui de servir en mesure de ses forces à la propagation de l´art musical russe à l´étranger´ (“The future Russian delegate must be designated by Russian musical eminent renowned personalities residing either in Petersburg or in Moscow. Otherwise we could well find someone who would seek this appointment only in order to enjoy the remuneration that the Minister of Finance has fixed for the musical delegate, and not in that of serving with all his knowledge and strength for the propagation of the Russian musical art abroad”) A letter of very interesting content. With blank integral leaf. Loosely housed within in a folio burgundy Morocco leather folder with a gilt stamped quotation taken from the letter to the front cover, six raised bands and gilt title to spine. Small overall minor age toning with foxing stains. VG 

 

From 1^st May to 10^th November 1878 Paris held the World´s Fair, called “Exposition Universelle”. The Palais du Trocadero was built for this occasion. During the exhibition the completed head of the Statue of Liberty was showcased, and Thomas Edison displayed a megaphone and a phonograph. On the musical side, Henry E. Stenway exhibited a Grand Piano which attracted extraordinary attention.

Tchaikovsky was feeling exhausted in January 1878, date of the present later. The last six months had been extremely stressing and musically important for the composer, having married and divorced Antonina Miliukova in such short period, a marriage which was a disaster, psychologically and emotionally, pushing him to try to commit suicide, but failing when he walked into the freezing Moskova river. During this same period Tchaikovsky had composed his only Violin Concerto, one of his masterpieces, and only few days before the present letter´s date he had completed the orchestration of his acclaimed Fourth Symphony. At the time of this letter and during the following weeks in Italy he completed the orchestration of his opera Eugene Oneguin.