Tchaikovsky
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Warsaw

Warsaw (Warszawa) is the capital city of Poland, and of its Masovia province (Województwo mazowieckie). During Tchaikovsky's lifetime the city was part of the Russian Empire, and the administrative centre of Warsaw district (Варшавский уезд) and Warsaw province (Варшавская губерния).

Tchaikovsky visited Warsaw on two occasions:

• 24 March/5 April 1882 — stopping briefly in the city, while returning from Vienna to Moscow.
• 28 December 1891/9 January 1892–2/14 January 1892 — staying at the Hôtel Europe, he visited the city in order to rehearse and conduct a symphony concert of his own works (2/14 January), including the Suite No. 3, the Elegy and Waltz from the Serenade for String Orchestra, the Violin Concerto (soloist Stanislaw Barcewicz), Joan's Aria from the opera The Maid of Orleans, and various romances (soloist Nina Fride). "I was warmly received by the musicians and the public. The concert went brilliantly" [1]. During this stay, on 1/13 January 1892, Tchaikovsky also heard Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana for the first time, and was very impressed by it: "This opera is indeed very remarkable and especially so thanks to the amazingly felicitous choice of subject. I wish Modia would be able to find me a subject of this kind" [2].

Notes:

1. Letter 4591 to Anna Merkling, 4/16 January 1892 [back]
2. Letter 4588 to Nikolai Konradi, 31 December 1891/12 January 1892 [back]