Letters to His Family: An AutobiographyThe great Russian composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a compulsive letter writer. The 681 pieces contained in this volume offer unique and intimate insights into the composer's life. They range from two months before his 21st birthday in 1861 to six weeks before his death. In vivid, informative detail Tchaikovsky discusses both his own music and that of his contemporaries, as well as European literature, art, and, in a long missive, his reactions to the New World. The fascination and importance of these letters lie in the light that they throw on the social and political climate in which Tchaikovsky lived. He also has much to say about patriotism, censorship, the conditions of the peasantry, the place of the Orthodox Church, and attitudes toward foreign countries. This is the definitive work on Tchaikovsky by Tchaikovsky. |
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Alesha ALEXANDRA DAVYDOVA ANATOLI TCHAIKOVSKY Anton Rubinstein April arrived Berlin boring Brailov charming Cherevichky Clarens composer concert Conservatoire dear Modia December decided delightful dinner Eugene Onegin everything February feel finished Florence Frolovskoie Golubchik Good-bye Grankino happy hope January journey Kamenka Kiev kiss and embrace Klin Kolia Kotek Laroche leave letter libretto live look Maidanovo Malyi Theatre March MODEST TCHAIKOVSKY Moscow Modichka morning Musical Society Nadezhda Filaretovna Napravnik Nazar nice night Nikolai November o'clock October Onegin opera Oprichnik orchestral Pania Papochka performance piano Piotr played pleased pleasure PRASKOVIA VLADIMIROVNA TCHAIKOVSKAIA Queen of Spades rehearsal Rome roubles Rubinstein Russian Sapelnikov Sasha scene September singing soon St Petersburg stay symphony Taneev TCHAIKOVSKY Paris telegram tell theatre thought Tiflis tired tomorrow upset Verbovka VLADIMIR DAVYDOV walk weather week wonderful worried write written wrote yesterday Yurgenson