for your undertaking,12 I wished to answer you properly, that is, with the sending of the choral works, but misfortune intervened.--And the misfortune is that I can't control my time according to my wishes --and I have no prepared choral works.
In any case, I beg you to be assured, dear sir, that at the first opportunity I shall hasten to fulfill your proposal, and your belief need not be shaken because the fulfillment of my promise is guaranteed by the purpose, which lies at the base of your undertaking and which cannot but be close to Russian musicians.
With my sincere respects, Yours, M. MUSORGSKY
Saturday If I'm not mistaken, it's the 13th of February [1870]
FRIEND MODESTE.
I miss you, because it's so long since I've seen you; you didn't come to the Purgolds on Tuesday for some reason, and I thought that perhaps on Wednesday you would come to the Borodins, but again you weren't there. The former, the Purgolds, having grown used to seeing you at their home every Tuesday, are disturbed that you may be ill, and the latter, the Borodins, have also not seen you for a long while. This evening I may go around to the Borodins, couldn't you come too, and if we don't see each other there, do write me whether you are planning to be at Cui's tomorrow, for I too would go there for dinner and would bring The Stone Guest. Address me at the Naval Academy at the apartment of the Chief of the Academy.
Your N. RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
"Musolyanin"
. . . My recollection of Musorgsky dates from when I was seven years old--or, rather, I was seven years old when I began to notice
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