good you see in it, I can't make out! I've no sympathy whatever with your innovators, and now I may have to suffer for them!"
"The more honor to you, Your Excellency," I replied: "that not having any personal sympathy for this opera, you so energetically protect the interests of Russian composers."
Everything was now arranged, apparently. But no, a new obstacle: Mr. Napravnik, shrinking and inwardly furious, represented to the Director that he had no time to take the rehearsals as he had so much to do otherwise. Then we arranged to have private rehearsals at my house, conducted by Musorgsky himself. The chorus, by order of the Director, was to be trained by Pomazansky. And thus it was. We set to work full of zeal, studying with love the music which had enraptured us, and in one month we were ready. We presented ourselves to our conductor Napravnik and demanded rehearsal with the orchestra. He scowled, but undertook the task and of course, with his usual conscientiousness did his duty admirably . . . --YULIA PLATONOVA1
[ October 28, 1873]
A circle of Russians, devoted to art, believing in its eternal forward- moving activity and aspiring to participate in this activity, warmly greet you on the day of your jubilee.2 As a genius composer and executant who has broadened the boundaries of art, as a great leader in the struggle against ancient routine, as an indefatigable artist before whose colossal and lasting activity we bow.
BALAKIREV, BESSEL, BORODIN, CUI, MUSORGSKY, RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, SHCHERBACHOV, STASOV.
In Petrograd, 5 December '73
MY DEAR LADY LUBOV IVANOVNA,
You flashed across our musical family. I understood you. You are leaving for afar. As a farewell, hear my request: in your leisure hours
____________________-254-
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: The Musorgsky Reader:A Life of Modeste Petrovich Musorgsky in Letters and Documents.
Contributors: Jay Leyda - Translator, Sergei Bertensson - Translator, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky - Author.
Publisher: W.W. Norton.
Place of publication: New York.
Publication year: 1947.
Page number: 254.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
One moment ...
- Georgia
- Arial
- Times New Roman
- Verdana
- Courier/monospaced
Reset