The love story of the great Russian writer Ivan Turgenev and the one who was called the golden voice of France is full of drama and passion. This story can also be called a story about the loneliness of the soul: since Turgenev’s romance with singer Pauline Viardot was more of a platonic romance than a real one. Nevertheless, it was a full-fledged love affair, and, moreover, a lifelong one...
Polina Viardot. T. Neff
For the first time, the writer saw the one who became his muse forever, on stage when the singer came on tour to St. Petersburg. Turgenev was fascinated by the voice of the prima of the French opera troupe - and indeed, Viardot’s voice was outstanding. When Polina began to sing, a sigh of admiration rolled through the hall, and the audience could listen to Viardot endlessly. Connoisseurs of opera art claimed that no other voice like this could be found on all five continents!
Turgenev longed to be introduced to the singer - and she glanced at the one who was introduced as “a landowner, a hunter, a good conversationalist and a bad poet.” He was truly a wonderful conversationalist, and he fell in love with the singer, who, in addition to her luxurious voice, had a very modest, if not unattractive, appearance at first sight.
The passion was so strong that 25-year-old Ivan Turgenev abandoned everything and followed the singer and her husband to Paris - to the great indignation of his mother, who did not give her son a penny for the trip. Turgenev was also not yet known as a writer, so in Viardot’s eyes he really was not a writer, but rather a “hunter and interlocutor.” In Paris, he subsisted on bread and kvass, but did not ask for help from his mother, one of the richest Russian landowners, the owner of a huge agricultural empire. She called Viardot a “damned gypsy” who bewitched her son, and for three years, while Turgenev lived near the Viardot family as a family friend, his mother did not send him a penny.
In the one whom the writer’s mother dubbed “gypsy,” there really was something of nomadic people: sickly thinness, piercing black eyes slightly bulging and southern passion in performance musical works- both for voice and piano. Viardot learned to play the piano from the genius Franz Liszt himself, and when this ugly, stooped woman went on stage or sat down at the piano, the audience forgot about her physical imperfection and became immersed in Magic world sounds.
Ivan Turgenev, whose works placed women on a romantic pedestal, did not dare to think about becoming the singer’s lover. He simply lived next to her, breathed the same air with Viardot and was content only with the friendship of the singer and her husband. He warmed himself by someone else's fire, although Viardot was by no means touchy: the singer had hobbies on the side. No one could resist the charm of her voice and personality: George Sand herself was completely fascinated by Polina, and the singer could be recognized in the main character of Sand’s novel “Consuelo.” The writer also turned a blind eye to the affair of the married Polina, with whom she became friends, with her son, believing that everything is allowed to a great talent...
However, Ivan Turgenev, a talent whose literary star has been shining brightly for the second century, was content with a modest place “on the edge of someone else’s nest,” as he himself said. He could not become the destroyer of this nest - he had so much admiration for the extraordinary woman and for everything that her gaze even fleetingly fell on or that her hands touched.
It may seem that the great Russian writer was always a romantic by nature, but this judgment will be erroneous. Before Viardot, the writer fell in love several times and even had an illegitimate daughter from a whirlwind affair with seamstress Avdotya Ivanova. But Viardot was by no means a seamstress or even the famous “Turgenev young lady”, whom one could simply follow for the sake of boredom. No, the writer idolized this woman so much that he himself elevated her to such a height where she became inaccessible to him, like the muses of art sitting on Parnassus!
Ivan Turgenev was painfully jealous of the singer, who periodically had affairs on the side, but... he was just a friend for her, a teacher of the difficult Russian language, which she wanted to master perfectly in order to perform the romances of Glinka, Dargomyzhsky and Tchaikovsky in the original language. In total, Polina knew six languages and achieved the perfect sound of every note and every sound.
Ivan Turgenev also had a warm relationship with Louis Viardot, the singer’s husband. They came together over a love of literature and hunting. Soon, no one who visited the Viardot-Turgenev salon was any longer surprised that this trio had become inseparable: Polina, her husband and the strange Russian who played in home performances, participated in musical evenings, and his daughter, whom Ivan Turgenev brought from Russia, was raised in the Viardot family as his own.
Polina, who had children of her own, enjoyed working with adopted child. The timid girl, deprived of her mother's affection, soon turned from a shy beech into a flirtatious mademoiselle, chirping smartly in French. She now also wrote letters to her father in what had become her native language, and her name was changed from Pelageya to Polinette.
Muse and wife - sometimes it’s completely different people... It cannot be said that Ivan Turgenev did not try to break out of “someone else’s nest” and make his own. But all attempts were in vain: both Baroness Vrevskaya and talented actress Maria Savina, however, Turgenev could not find in his heart for these women feelings as strong as he felt for Polina. And even when he sometimes returned to his homeland, in order to settle financial affairs or see his mother, one letter from Viardot was enough for him to immediately abandon everything and everyone and return back.
Ivan Turgenev lived a long life - and forty years of this life were illuminated by the light of only one star, whose name was Pauline Viardot. The writer died with her name on his lips, surrounded by the Viardot family, which became his only real family.
Their relationship lasted 40 years - from 1843 to 1883. This is probably the longest love story.
In 1878, the Russian writer I.S. Turgenev wrote a prose poem: “When I
will not be when everything that was me crumbles to dust - oh you, my only friend, oh you whom I loved so deeply and so tenderly, you who will probably outlive me - do not go to my grave... You should do there nothing". This piece is dedicated to Pauline Viardot, a woman romantic love to which Turgenev carried through many years of his life, until his very last breath.
Turgenev met the singer Viardot in 1843, when Viardot was on tour in St. Petersburg. Her full name is Michelle Ferdinanda Pauline Garcia (married Viardot). Polina Garcia was born in Paris into the famous Spanish artistic Garcia family. Her mother, Joaquina Siches, at one time shone on the stages of Madrid. Father - Manuel Garcia - tenor of the Parisian Italian theater, as a composer composed operas. Polina's older sister, Maria Felicita Milibran, successfully performed in opera roles on stages in Europe and America. Polina grew up as a musically gifted child. Possessing extraordinary linguistic abilities, she was fluent in four languages at the age of 4: French, Spanish, Italian and English. Later she learned Russian and German and studied Greek and Latin. She had a beautiful voice - mezzo-soprano.
Polina's first public performance took place at the Renaissance Theater in Paris in 1836. She performed arias from operas and musical pieces. The audience greeted her warmly. This was followed by a tour in London. Her talent is being recognized. Famous writer and critic T. Gautier writes a laudable review. Composer G. Berlioz admires her vocal skills. In 1840, Polina met the famous French writer George Sand, who was at that time whirlwind romance with composer F. Chopin. The acquaintance grew into a deep friendship. J. Sand portrayed Polina Garcia in the main character of the novel “Consuela”. And when the writer and poet Alfred de Musset proposes to Polina, on the advice of J. Sand, Polina refuses him. Soon, again on the advice of J. Sand, Polina accepts the proposal of Louis Viardot, a writer and journalist, a man 20 years older than her. At the beginning of the marriage, Polina was very passionate about her husband, but after some time, J. Sand admitted that her heart was tired of her husband’s expressions of love. A very worthy man in all respects, Louis was the complete opposite of the talented and temperamental Polina. And even J. Sand, who was disposed towards him, found him as dull as a nightcap.
Love of a cursed gypsy
The Viardot couple spent their honeymoon in Italy, where at an evening in their honor the singing of P. Viardot was accompanied by the young C. Gounod. Tours around Europe brought success, but the French press had mixed opinions about Viardot's talent. Some admired her singing, and some subjected her talent to devastating criticism, blaming her for her voice and ugly appearance. Viardot received real recognition of her talent in St. Petersburg, where she arrived in 1843. Before her appearance in St. Petersburg, almost nothing was known about her in Russia. Viardot's debut in the opera The Barber of Seville was a promised success. At one of the opera performances, the young poet I.S. saw and heard the singer for the first time. Turgenev, who served as a collegiate assessor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The popularity of Polina Viardot gave her the opportunity to meet many representatives of high society and the creative intelligentsia of Russia. Music lovers, musicians and writers gathered in the Viardot family. Ardent music fans, brothers Mikhail and Matvey Vielgorsky, invite Viardot to their musical evenings. She participates in musical evenings in Winter Palace. Turgenev is a regular participant in such evenings and meetings. He is in love with Pauline Viardot, in love at first sight. They first met in the house of the poet and literature teacher Major A. Komarov. Viardot herself did not single out Turgenev from many others. Later she wrote: “He was introduced to me with the words: “This is a young Russian landowner, a glorious hunter and a bad poet.” At this time, Turgenev turned 25 years old. Viardot is 22 years old. From that moment on, Polina is the mistress of his heart. There is a union of two bright talented individuals. As they get closer, Viardot becomes Ivan Sergeevich's involuntary confessor. He is frank with her. He trusts her with all his secrets. She is the first to read his works in manuscript. She inspires his creativity. It is impossible to talk about Turgenev without mentioning Viardot. It is impossible to talk about Viardot without connection with Turgenev. Turgenev became very close friends with Polina’s husband, Louis. Both were passionate hunters.
In 1844, Viardot went to Vienna, in 1845 she was again in Russia, the country that gave her real fame, the country that she called her Motherland. In the spring, Viardot, Polina and Louis come to Moscow. Turgenev meets them. He accompanies the spouses on a tour of the Kremlin. The mother of Ivan Sergeevich V.P. Turgenev, having overcome her jealousy and hostility towards Polina, went to listen to her singing and find the courage to say: “She sings well, damned gypsy!”
In May 1845, the Viardot couple went to Paris, where Turgenev soon arrived. During the summer they live at Courtavnel, their estate near Paris. Turgenev also comes there to meet with Viardot. In 1846, Viardot came to Russia. The couple brought with them their little daughter, Louisette. It so happened that my daughter fell ill with whooping cough. While caring for her, Polina herself became very ill. A malignant form of whooping cough could lead to loss of voice. All concerts were canceled and the couple left for their homeland, where homeopathy treatment and a milder climate helped cope with the disease.
The dynamics of the development of relations between Viardot and Turgenev can only be observed from the letters of Ivan Sergeevich. Viardot's letters to Turgenev have not survived. Viardot removed them from the writer's archive after his death. But even reading letters from only one side, letters from Turgenev, one can feel the strength and depth of his love for this woman. Turgenev writes his first letter immediately after Viardot left Russia in 1844. Correspondence was not established immediately. Apparently, Viardot did not answer carefully and did not give Turgenev freedom of expression. But she did not push him away, she accepted the writer’s love and allowed him to love her, without hiding her feelings. The letters are filled with adoration for Viardot. Turgenev begins to live her life, her talent. He examines the shortcomings in her work. He advises her to study classical literary subjects and gives advice on improving her German language.
For three years (1847-1850) Turgenev lived in France, being in close communication with the Viardot family and personally with Polina. At this time, the composer C. Gounod settled on the Kurtavnele estate, with whom Turgenev became friends. The main stories of “Notes of a Hunter” were conceived and written in Courtavnel.
Some called Kurtavnele the “cradle” of Ivan Sergeevich’s literary fame. The nature of this place was extraordinary. In front of the main entrance to the castle there is a green lawn with flowers. On it there were luxurious poplars and chestnuts, and people walked under the apple trees. Subsequently, Turgenev recalled Viardot’s dress with brown streaks, her gray hat and her guitar. For the winter, the Viardot family went to Paris. Turgenev went there, renting an apartment. Viardot also often went on tour. All contemporaries note that although outwardly ugly, and perhaps even ugly, she was transformed on stage. After the singing began, an electric spark seemed to run through the hall, the audience was overcome with delight and no one remembered her appearance - she seemed beautiful to everyone. Great composers - Berlioz, Wagner, Glinka, Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky and many others admired her intelligence and talent.
In mid-1850, Turgenev was forced to leave for Russia. The writer’s mother was very jealous of her son for the “damned gypsy” (according to some sources, Viardot’s father came from a gypsy family), demanded a break with Viardot and her son’s return home. Later, Turgenev uses maternal traits to portray a tough landowner-serf in the story “Mumu”. V.P. Turgeneva herself did not think twice about her son’s literary studies. It ended with her stopping sending her son the money he needed to live abroad. At the Spasskoye estate, Turgenev had a very difficult explanation with his mother. As a result, he managed to take away his illegitimate daughter Polina, born from the writer’s relationship with the serf seamstress A.I. Ivanova, from her and send the 8-year-old girl to be raised in the Virado family. In November 1950, Turgenev's mother dies. Ivan Sergeevich is having a hard time experiencing this death. Having familiarized himself with his mother’s diary, Turgenev, in a letter to Viardot, admires his mother and at the same time writes: “... in the last minutes my mother did not think about anything other than (I’m ashamed to say) the ruin of me and my brother.”
Heel on the neck and nose in the dirt
Turgenev's letters to Viardot were translated from French and published during Viardot's lifetime. Polina herself made a selection of letters for publication. The banknotes are also made by her. As a result, love almost disappeared from the letters; the letters retained only the mood of warm friendly relations between two people who knew each other well. The letters are published in full and without cuts immediately after Viardot’s death. Many of them have inserts in German. There is reason to believe that Louis, Polina’s husband, read Turgenev’s letters to his wife and Turgenev knew about this, but at the same time Louis did not know German at all. Turgenev writes: “Please allow me, as a sign of forgiveness, to passionately kiss these dear feet, to which my whole soul belongs... At your dear feet I want to live and die forever. I kiss you for hours and remain your friend forever.”
While Turgenev lived in Spassky, settling his affairs and walking through the shady park of the estate, in 1851 he began a real earthly romance with the serf girl Feoktista. In letters from this time to Viardot, Turgenev writes a lot about business, about the death of Gogol, about the study of the Russian people, but there is not a word about his connection with a serf girl. Can this be considered as the writer’s hypocrisy and insincerity towards the woman he loves? Most likely not. There were simply contradictions in Turgenev’s soul, a clash of higher and lower elements was taking place. And the connection with Theoktista was not love, but just a lordly compliance with sensual attraction to a serf girl, completely dependent on her master. These relationships could not in any way affect the romantic love for Viardot. Apparently, the writer himself did not attach any importance to this connection and therefore the episode did not find a place in the correspondence.
In 1852-1853, Viardot came to Russia to sing. She performs successfully on the stage of St. Petersburg. Turgenev trembles with hope for a meeting and is very worried about her health. He himself cannot come to St. Petersburg, because... the government subjected him to exile family estate for a harsh article on the death of N.V. Gogol in Russkie Vedomosti. Turgenev invites Viardot to Spasskoye, but, apparently, musical obligations do not give her such an opportunity. In the spring of 1853, Viardot performed in Moscow. Turgenev travels to Moscow using someone else’s passport, where he spends 10 days meeting with Viardot.
1854-1855 was a strange break in Turgenev’s letters to Viardot. Most likely the reason is that Ivan Sergeevich is trying to arrange his personal life. Turgenev is interested in his distant relative Olga Alexandrovna Turgeneva. Turgenev often visited her father's house. She was a meek and attractive girl, the goddaughter of V. Zhukovsky, a musician. In 1854 she turned 18 years old. They became very close. and Ivan Sergeevich thought about making an offer to Turgeneva. But, as Turgenev’s friend P.V. Annenkov recalled, this relationship did not last long and died out peacefully. But for Olga Alexandrovna the breakup was a heavy blow - she fell ill and could not recover from the shock for a long time. Then she married S.N. Somov and died, leaving several children. Turgenev was very sad about her death.
In 1856, Turgenev again travels abroad. The Crimean War was going on and it was not easy to get international passport. Travel to France, with which Russia was at war, was closed to Russians... Turgenev travels to Paris through Germany. He meets Viardot again and spends the end of the summer and part of the autumn in Courtavnel - the union of friendship and love is restored. Probably this period was ordeal for the love of Turgenev and Viardot. In Kurtavnel, Turgenev is visited by the singer A. Fet, to whom Turgenev openly gives a confession that escaped him in a moment of despair: “I am subordinate to the will of this woman. No! She obscured everything else from me, which is what I need. I only feel blissful when a woman steps on my neck with her heel and presses my face into the dirt with her nose.” The poet Ya.P., who was friends with Turgenev Polonsky recalled that Turgenev, by his nature, would not have been able to love a simple innocent woman for a long time, even with merit. That he needed a woman who would make him doubt, hesitate, be jealous, despondent - in a word, suffer. Turgenev loved Viardot selflessly, with all the strength of his soul, laying his whole life at her feet. Polina, a woman of imperious temperament and exorbitant pride, possessing a sober practical mind, although she responded to the writer’s feelings, practically kept him at a distance, often causing Turgenev exorbitant suffering. It was definitely love higher type, when the essence is not in the possession of a body, but in the unification of lives, in the unification of souls. These two opposite characters either converged or repelled each other, but remained together for many years.
Ivan Turgenev's first love was the daughter of Princess Shakhovskaya, the poetess Ekaterina. This happened in his youth: Turgenev was 15 years old, and his beloved was 19 years old. They lived on neighboring estates and often visited each other. Ivan was in awe of Catherine, languished in hot youthful love and was afraid to admit his feelings. But the future writer’s father, Sergei Nikolaevich, also fell under the girl’s spell, and it was him who the young princess reciprocated. This broke Ivan’s heart, and even many years later he described the events in the story “First Love,” embodying the image of Katya Shakhovskaya in the heroine Zinaida Zasekina. The author never hid the fact that all the heroes of the work have real prototypes, for which many condemned him. The story, full of drama, really ended sadly: Turgenev Sr., after breaking up with his young mistress, soon died - and there were rumors that it was a suicide committed against the backdrop of love misadventures. A year later, Catherine married Lev Kharitonovich Vladimirov, gave birth to his son, and died six days later.
Turgenev became interested in seamstress Dunya in 1843, after returning from abroad. This was probably one of the writer’s fleeting hobbies, but it had serious consequences - a year later Dunyasha gave birth to a girl. The daughter was named Pelageya (Polina), and although Turgenev did not officially recognize the child, he did not abandon the girl. She was brought up in the family of Pauline Viardot, Ivan Turgenev’s lover; the writer took the girl with him on trips abroad. Dunyasha herself was later married off.
The opera diva became the writer's passionate love for forty years. When they met, Turgenev was 25 years old, Viardot was 22 years old, but the world famous singer I already had a husband. It was Ivan Sergeevich who met him while hunting, and Louis Viardot introduced his new comrade to his wife. When the singer's tour ended, the family left for Paris... and Turgenev left with them. The ardently in love writer left was not yet known in Europe, but left home country without mother's permission and without money. Returning to Russia, he again leaves abroad two years later, having learned about Viardot’s tour in Germany, he follows her to both England and France. He could not enter into an official marriage, but Turgenev lived in the Viardot family, “on the edge of someone else’s nest,” as he himself said. Turgenev never started his own family, not even his illegitimate daughter was raised by Pauline Viardot. And it was Turgenev’s beloved woman, and not his illegitimate daughter, who became the writer’s heir.
Theater actress became last love Turgenev, which lasted four years. The writer first saw her on stage, in a play based on his own play “A Month in the Country.” Maria, contrary to the director's opinion, chose minor role Verochka played it so vividly that Turgenev himself was amazed. After the performance, he rushed backstage to Savina with a huge bouquet of roses and exclaimed: “Did I really write this Verochka?!” The actress fell on Turgenev's neck and kissed him on the cheek - this was a manifestation of warm feelings, but Turgenev could not count on more than just respect. And he fell in love with Maria, which he openly admitted to her. Because of this discrepancy in feelings, meetings were quite difficult and rare, which was compensated by frequent correspondence that lasted four years. In his letters, Turgenev did not skimp on tender phrases, but for Maria he was good friend, to whom she informed about her upcoming marriage. Turgenev wished her happiness, but did not abandon his touching dreams about her, and when Savina’s marriage was temporarily upset, he again began planning joint trips abroad. They were not destined to become a reality - the writer died in the circle of the Viardot family, and many years later Maria came to the Turgenev house-museum every day to leave a bouquet of flowers in front of his portrait. Already a fifty-year-old lady, she entered into an official relationship with the vice-president of the Theater Society Anatoly Molchanov, with whom she had previously for a long time lived in a civil marriage.
CONTEMPORARIES unanimously admitted that she was not a beauty at all. Quite the contrary. The poet Heinrich Heine said that it resembled a landscape, both monstrous and exotic, and one of the artists of that era described it as more than just ugly woman, but brutally ugly. This is exactly how the famous singer Pauline Viardot was described in those days. Indeed, Viardot’s appearance was far from ideal. She was stooped, with bulging eyes, large, almost masculine features, and a huge mouth.
But when the “divine Viardot” began to sing, her strange, almost repulsive appearance magically transformed. It seemed that before this, Viardot’s face was just a reflection in a distorting mirror, and only while singing did the audience get to see the original. At the moment of one of these transformations, the aspiring Russian writer Ivan Turgenev saw Pauline Viardot on the stage of the opera house.
This mysterious, attractive woman, like a drug, managed to chain the writer to her for the rest of her life. Their romance took 40 long years and divided Turgenev’s entire life into periods before and after his meeting with Polina.
Village passions
Turgenev's personal life was not going smoothly from the very beginning. First love young writer left a bitter aftertaste. Young Katenka, the daughter of Princess Shakhovskaya, who lived next door, captivated 18-year-old Turgenev with her girlish freshness, naivety and spontaneity. But, as it turned out later, the girl was not at all as pure and immaculate as the imagination of the young man in love had imagined. One day, Turgenev had to find out that Catherine had long had a permanent lover, and young Katya’s “heart friend” turned out to be none other than Sergei Nikolaevich, a well-known Don Juan in the area and... Turgenev’s father. Complete confusion reigned in the young man's head, the young man could not understand why Katenka chose her father over him, because Sergei Nikolaevich treated women without any trepidation, was often rude to his mistresses, never explained his actions, could offend the girl with an unexpected word and caustic remark, while his son loved Katya with some special tenderness. All this seemed to the young Turgenev a huge injustice; now, looking at Katya, he felt as if he had unexpectedly stumbled upon something vile, similar to a frog crushed by a cart.
Having recovered from the blow, Ivan becomes disillusioned with the “noble maidens” and goes to seek love from simple and gullible serf peasant women. They, not spoiled by the kind attitude of their husbands, exhausted by work and poverty, happily accepted signs of attention from the affectionate master, it was easy to bring them joy, to light a warm light in their eyes, and with them Turgenev felt that his tenderness was finally appreciated. One of the serfs, the burning beauty Avdotya Ivanova, gave birth to the writer’s daughter.
Perhaps a connection with a master could play the role of a happy lottery ticket in the life of the illiterate Avdotya - Turgenev settled his daughter on his estate, planned to give her a good upbringing and, who knows, live a happy life with her mother. But fate decreed otherwise.
Unanswered love
TRAVELING across Europe, in 1843 Turgenev met Pauline Viardot, and since then his heart belonged to her alone. Ivan Sergeevich does not care that his love is married; he gladly agrees to meet Pauline’s husband Louis Viardot. Knowing that Polina is happy in this marriage, Turgenev does not even insist on intimacy with his beloved and is content with the role of a devoted admirer.
Turgenev’s mother was cruelly jealous of her son for the “singer,” and therefore the trip to Europe (which soon came down to only visiting the cities where Viardot toured) had to be continued under constrained financial circumstances. But how can such little things as the dissatisfaction of relatives and lack of money stop the feeling that befell Turgenev?
The Viardot family becomes a part of his life, he is attached to Polina, he has a kind of friendship with Louis Viardot, and their daughter has become dear to the writer. In those years, Turgenev practically lived in the Viardot family; the writer either rented houses in the neighborhood or stayed for a long time in the house of his beloved. Louis Viardot did not prevent his wife from meeting her new admirer. On the one hand, he considered Polina a reasonable woman and relied entirely on her common sense, and on the other hand, friendship with Turgenev promised quite material benefits: contrary to the will of his mother, Ivan Sergeevich spent a lot of money on the Viardot family. At the same time, Turgenev was well aware of his ambiguous position in the Viardot house; more than once he had to catch the sidelong glances of his Parisian acquaintances, who shrugged their shoulders in bewilderment when Polina, introducing Ivan Sergeevich to them, said: “And this is our Russian friend, please meet me.” . Turgenev felt that he, a hereditary Russian nobleman, was gradually turning into a lap dog, which began to wag its tail and squeal joyfully as soon as its owner cast a favorable glance at it or scratched it behind the ear, but he could not do anything about his unhealthy feeling. Without Polina, Ivan Sergeevich felt truly sick and broken: “I cannot live away from you, I must feel your closeness, enjoy it. The day when your eyes didn’t shine on me is a lost day,” he wrote to Polina and, without demanding anything in return, continued to help her financially, fuss with her children and forcefully smile at Louis Viardot.
As for his own daughter, Polina, born from the writer’s relationship with the serf seamstress A.I. Ivanova, her life on her grandmother’s estate is not at all cloudless. The powerful landowner treats her granddaughter like a serf. As a result, Turgenev invites Polina to take the girl to be raised by the Viardot family. At the same time, either wanting to please the woman he loved, or overwhelmed by the fever of love, Turgenev changes the name of his own daughter, and from Pelageya the girl turns into Polinette (of course, in honor of her beloved Polina). Of course, Polina Viardot’s agreement to raise Turgenev’s daughter further strengthened the writer’s feelings. Now Viardot has also become for him an angel of mercy, who snatched his child from the hands of a cruel grandmother. True, Pelageya-Polinet did not at all share her father’s affection for Pauline Viardot. Having lived in Viardot's house until she came of age, Polynette retained a grudge against her father and hostility toward her adoptive mother for the rest of her life, believing that she had taken her father's love and attention away from her.
Meanwhile, the popularity of Turgenev the writer is growing. In Russia, no one perceives Ivan Sergeevich as an aspiring writer any more - now he is almost a living classic. At the same time, Turgenev firmly believes that he owes his fame to Viardot. Before the premieres of plays based on his works, he whispers her name, believing that it brings him good luck.
In 1852-1853, Turgenev lived on his estate practically under house arrest. The authorities really didn’t like the obituary he wrote after Gogol’s death - the secret chancellery saw it as a threat to imperial power.
Having learned that in March 1853 Pauline Viardot was coming to Russia with concerts, Turgenev lost his head. He manages to obtain a fake passport, with which the writer, disguised as a tradesman, goes to Moscow to meet the woman he loves. The risk was huge, but, unfortunately, unjustified. Several years of separation cooled Polina's feelings. But Turgenev is ready to be content with simple friendship, if only from time to time to see how Viardot turns his thin neck and looks at him with his mysterious black eyes.
In someone else's arms
SOME time later, Turgenev nevertheless made several attempts to improve his personal life. In the spring of 1854, the writer met with the daughter of one of Ivan Sergeevich’s cousins, Olga. The 18-year-old girl captivated the writer so much that he even thought about marriage. But the longer their romance lasted, the more often the writer remembered Pauline Viardot. The freshness of Olga’s young face and her trustingly affectionate glances from under lowered eyelashes still could not replace the opium intoxication that the writer felt at every meeting with Viardot. Finally, completely exhausted by this duality, Turgenev admitted to the girl in love with him that he could not justify her hopes for personal happiness. Olga was very upset by the unexpected breakup, and Turgenev blamed himself for everything, but could not do anything about his newly rekindled love for Polina.
In 1879, Turgenev made his last attempt to start a family. Young actress Maria Savinova is ready to become his life partner. The girl is not even afraid of the huge age difference - at that moment Turgenev was already over 60.
In 1882, Savinova and Turgenev went to Paris. Unfortunately, this trip marked the end of their relationship. In Turgenev's house, every little thing reminded of Viardot, Maria constantly felt superfluous and was tormented by jealousy. That same year, Turgenev became seriously ill. Doctors diagnosed terrible diagnosis- cancer. At the beginning of 1883, he was operated on in Paris, and in April, after the hospital, before returning to his home, he asks to be taken to Viardot’s house, where Polina was waiting for him.
Turgenev did not have long to live, but he was happy in his own way - his Polina was next to him, to whom he dictated latest stories and letters. On September 3, 1883, Turgenev died. According to his will, he wanted to be buried in Russia, and in last way He is accompanied to his homeland by Claudia Viardot, the daughter of Pauline Viardot. Turgenev was buried not in his beloved Moscow and not on his estate in Spassky, but in St. Petersburg - a city in which he was only passing through, in the necropolis of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Perhaps this happened due to the fact that the funeral was carried out, in essence, by people almost strangers to the writer.
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev... He wrote the masterpieces of Russian classical literature: “Notes of a Hunter”, “Noble Nest”, “Rudin”, “Fathers and Sons”, “On the Eve” and others, reflecting the life of a Russian societies of four decades (from the 1840s to the 1870s). The writer himself spent most of his life in France. And this is a phenomenon of his fate, his personality, his great and dramatic love...
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St. Petersburg early 40s XIX century... The musical season of 1843-44 was amazing: performances of the Parisian Italian Opera, for which access to Russia had been closed for a long time, resumed in the northern capital. Among famous performers The young prima donna Pauline Viardot (soprano) stood out in particular and was a huge success with the public. She not only sang, but also played excellently. This was noted by many of her listeners. Roubini - famous at that time Opera singer- I told her more than once after the performance: “Don’t play so passionately: you’ll die on stage!”
Viardot is the daughter of the famous Spanish singer Manuel Garcia, originally from Seville, who shone on opera scenes many countries of the world. Polina is 22 years old. Europe has already been conquered by her voice. And her singing and performance on stage shocked the enthusiastic young Turgenev, who was barely 25 years old then. Avdotya Panaeva, a Russian writer, a contemporary of Turgenev, recalled: “I think it would have been difficult to find another in love like Turgenev. He loudly announced his love for Viardot everywhere and to everyone, and in his circle of friends he spoke of nothing else but Viardot, whom he met.”
November 1, 1843 became an unforgettable day for Ivan Sergeevich; he was introduced to the famous singer, recommended as “a Great Russian landowner, a good shooter, a pleasant conversationalist and... a bad poet.” Now, after the performances, Turgenev began to be allowed into the singer’s dressing room, where he amused her with all sorts of stories, and he was an excellent storyteller. Then, while hunting, Turgenev met Polina’s husband, a famous critic and art critic, director of the Paris Italian Opera, Louis Viardot.
Soon the young writer offered his services to Pauline Viardot as a Russian language teacher. She needed this, since at the request of the local audience she had to sing Russian songs and romances on stage. And from that moment they began to meet almost every day. Turgenev gave Polina lessons...
According to general reviews, Viardot was not beautiful. Stooped, with large features and bulging eyes, she even seemed ugly to many, but she was a captivating plain girl. One Belgian artist told her future husband Louis Viardot on the day of their engagement: “She is desperately ugly, but if I saw her again, I would fall in love.”
Louis Viardot was introduced to Polina by Georges Sand, who was friends with the singer at that time. Viardot, her voice and sincere manner of performance at one time so impressed the writer that later, thanks to Polina, the image of the heroine of George Sand’s most famous novel “Consuello” was born...
Many of her contemporaries left rave reviews about Pauline Viardot, among them the founder of the Russian musical society and the first conservatory in Russia A.G. Rubinstein: “Never, neither before nor after, have I heard anything like this...” Berlioz called Viardot “one of the greatest artists of the past and modern history music." According to Saint-Saens, the great French composer XIX century, “...her voice, not velvety and not crystal clear, but rather bitter, like orange, was created for tragedies, elegiac poems, and oratorios.”
The singer's repertoire included romances to the music of Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, Verstovsky, Cui, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, performed by her in Russian. As a student of Liszt and Chopin, she played the piano amazingly. Polina Viardot herself composed music for romances, many of which were written to poems by Russian poets. Russian became one of the six European languages that Polina spoke.
For Turgenev, Polina was a beauty. And he remained of this opinion until the end of his life. Panaeva writes: “I don’t remember how many years later, Viardot came again to sing in Italian opera. But she had already lost the freshness of her voice, and there was nothing to say about her appearance: with age, her face became even uglier. The public received her coldly. Turgenev found that Viardot began to sing and play much better than before, and the St. Petersburg public is so stupid and ignorant of music that they do not know how to appreciate such a wonderful artist.”
At the end of the tour, Pauline Viardot invites Turgenev to France. And he, against the will of his mother, without money, still unknown to anyone, leaves with his beloved and her husband for Paris. There he met and became friends with the Viardot family, who lived in Courtavenel. In November 1845, he returned to Russia, so that in January 1847, having learned about Viardot’s tour in Germany, he left again: Berlin, then London, Paris, a tour of France and again St. Petersburg. He rushes around Europe after the shadow of his beloved: “Oh, my feelings for you are too great and powerful. I cannot live away from you, - I must feel your closeness, enjoy it, - a day when your eyes did not shine on me is a lost day.”
And few could have thought then that this Russian, who soon became a recognized writer, one of the most popular not only in Russia, but also in Europe, would retain an ardent attachment to married woman, will follow her abroad, where, in the end, she will spend most of her life and will only visit her homeland on short visits. This acquaintance will last a lifetime, turning into one of greatest stories love in the world...
Life in Courtavnel was interesting and fun: they read aloud, performed home plays, greeted guests... Turgenev was happy being next to the woman he loved. And at the same time, this happiness brought confusion into his soul: after all, he loved Madame Viardot, and he was tormented by the fact that he had to live on the “edge of someone else’s nest.” Russian friends who visited him in France found this situation deplorable. He admitted to one of them: “She has long eclipsed all other women in my eyes. I deserve what's happening to me." Tolstoy, having seen him in Paris, wrote: “I never thought that he was capable of loving so much.”
In 1864, Pauline Viardot left the stage and moved to Baden-Baden with her husband and children. Turgenev followed them, building himself a house next door. He once remarked that he loved family, family life, but “fate did not send me my own family, and I attached myself, became part of an alien family, and it happened by chance that it was a French family. For a long time, my life has been intertwined with the life of this family. There they look at me not as a writer, but as a person, and among her I feel calm and warm. She changes her place of residence - and I go with her; she goes to London, Baden, Paris - and I transfer my location with her.”
Ivan Sergeevich and the owner of the house, Monsieur Louis Viardot, had a common passion - hunting. In addition, the two of them translated works of Russian writers into French, and subsequently Turgenev himself.
Brother Nikolai, who came to see Turgenev, wrote to his wife: “Viardot’s children treat him like a father, although they are not at all like him. I don't want to spread gossip. I think that at some time in the past there was more tension between him and Polina. close connection, but, in my opinion, now he just lives with them, becoming a family friend.” Turgenev developed a particularly warm and trusting relationship with Viardot’s middle daughter, Claudie, or Didi, as she was called in the family.
There is a legend that Turgenev’s love was platonic, but some of his letters leave no doubt about the fairly close relationship between Viardot and Turgenev: “Hello, my beloved, my best, my dearest woman... My dear angel... The only and my favorite..."
Some researchers of the writer’s work, including the director of the I. S. Turgenev Museum in Bougeville A. Ya. Zvigilsky, associate the birth of Pauline Viardot’s son Paul in 1856 with precisely such a close relationship. Never did the birth of children in the Viardot family cause such a storm of delight in Turgenev as at the birth of Paul. But Madame Viardot did not share his jubilation. Already in the fall of 1856, she was clearly angry with her friend “for something.” And this disgrace lasted almost five years.
The question of Turgenev's paternity still remains unclear. At that time, Polina had another lover - the famous artist Arie Sheffer, who painted her portrait. Most Western researchers of Turgenev’s work believe that it was his son, by the way, and the descendants of the Viardot family are inclined to do the same. Apparently, there are reasons for this.
But despite everything, at that time and later, over the years, Turgenev’s feelings for Polina did not weaken. Turgenev - Viardot: “I assure you that the feelings that I feel for you are something completely unprecedented, something that the world did not know, that never existed and that will never happen again!” Or “Oh, my dearly beloved friend, I constantly, day and night, think about you, and with such endless love! Every time you think about me, you can calmly say: “My image now stands before his eyes, and he worships me.” It's literally like that."
And here’s another: “Lord! How happy I was when I read you excerpts from my novel (“Smoke” - A.P.). I will now write a lot, solely in order to bring myself this happiness. The impression made on you by my reading found a hundredfold response in my soul, like a mountain echo, and this was not exclusively the author’s joy.”
Turgenev's love brought him not only emotional joy and suffering. She was the source of his creative inspiration. Pauline Viardot always showed a lively, genuine interest in all the works that came from the writer’s pen. Viardot herself once remarked: “Not a single line of Turgenev appeared in print before he introduced me to it. You Russians don’t know how much you owe me that Turgenev continues to write and work.”
And what about Polina Viardot, how did she herself feel about this situation in her family? She behaved evenly, motherly, both with her husband Louis, who was almost twenty years older than her, and with Turgenev. She felt respect and reverence for her husband, and approximately the same feelings for Turgenev. Meanwhile, she more than once had relationships of passionate friendship with other men.
Her first passion was the composer Franz Liszt, who taught Viardot to play the piano. She also liked another composer - Charles Gounod, of whom Turgenev was very jealous of Polina. They say that she also had an affair with her son Georges Sand. It is interesting that it was on Gounod’s recommendation that he who lived in Bougival became a music teacher for Turgenev’s daughter. famous composer Georges Bizet. It was in Bougival that he created his immortal opera Carmen. The house in which Bizet lived has survived to this day. It is located on the street, which is named after I. S. Turgenev.
And Polina... She was simply happy when she managed to escape both Viardot and Turgenev for a while. The two of them received only her friendship: “I am capable of constant friendship, free from selfishness, lasting and tireless.”
In the 60s, Turgenev was constantly on the road, the route was almost always the same: Russia - France - Russia. And yet, after the publication of the novel “Fathers and Sons” (1862), the writer felt that he was losing touch with the younger generation of his country. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, “most of the youth accepted the novel “Fathers and Sons” with loud protest. Many saw him as a caricature of themselves. This misunderstanding greatly upset Turgenev.” On top of everything else, during that period Turgenev’s relations with Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and his old friend Herzen went wrong. As a result, he became increasingly attached to the Viardot family.
However, both before meeting Viardot, and during his visits to Russia, Turgenev more than once showed interest in other women. In 1842, a very young gentleman in Spassky gave birth to a daughter, Pelageya, from a civilian seamstress. At the age of eight, Pauline Viardot took her into her family to raise her. The girl came to France illiterate and wild. But after a few years she turned into a Parisian mademoiselle, learned to draw, play the piano, gradually forgot Russian and wrote letters to her father only in French. Polinette, as she was called in the Viardot family, bore the surname Turgenev. He took care of her even when she got married. Ivan Sergeevich paid maintenance to the mother of his daughter, Avdotya Ermolaevna Ivanova, and visited her many years later.
The writer's first serious romance flared up even before meeting Viardot, with the sister of his friend Michel Bakunin - Tatyana... Then there was a romantic relationship with the sister of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy - Maria Nikolaevna, who even left her husband because of Turgenev... In the mid-70s years, the writer was for some time fascinated by Baroness Yulia Petrovna Vrevskaya. When they met he was already fifty-five, she was thirty-three. She lost her general husband early, he was free, rich and famous. And, as always, infinitely charming. The Baroness is enchanted, in love and waiting for mutual feelings. But, alas, she did not wait for this... At the end of 1879, Turgenev met the young actress Maria Gavrilovna Savina. Having forgotten about his 62 years, he again falls into the captivity of youth, femininity and great talent. An entire generation separates them, but neither of them notices it. There was some intimacy between them...
And yet, Pauline Viardot reigned supreme over him. Even in those moments when Turgenev seemed to be especially happy in Russia, he could unexpectedly declare to his friends: “If Madame Viardot calls me now, I will have to go.” And he left...
IN last decade In life, Ivan Sergeevich’s main interest was still the Viardot family. As Andre Maurois writes in his monograph “Turgenev,” “if he were offered the choice of being the world’s first writer, but never seeing the Viardot family again, or serving as their watchman, janitor, and in this capacity following them somewhere to the other end light, he would prefer the position of a janitor.”
But more and more often he was overcome by a melancholy mood: “I turned sixty years old: this is the beginning of the “tail” of life.” I was increasingly drawn to my homeland. However, his visits here were only to return to Her again and again. According to his close friends, more than once “Turgenev began to talk about staying longer in Russia, living at home in Spassky. But the slightest suspicion was enough there, in Paris, one letter from there was enough - and all established connections were instantly severed, Turgenev abandoned everything and flew to where Viardot was ... "
Turgenev is one of the most subtle singers of first love in all world literature and primarily in prose. He creates charming female images, included in the golden fund of Russian literature under the romantic name of “Turgenev’s girls”: selfless, sincere, determined, not afraid to love.
However, when getting acquainted with his works, you notice that many of Turgenev’s male heroes are beautiful, subtle, sensitive, but cannot find a job to suit themselves, by nature, by conviction of conscience. They lack initiative, give in to reality, and are afraid of responsibility in family matters. The scope of their activities, as a rule, is limited to their personal life. First of all, love. This is how we see Rudin and Shubin from “On the Eve”, Lavretsky from “The Noble Nest”, the anonymous Mr. N.N. from “Asia”, Sanin from “Veshniye Vody”, Nezhdanov from “Novi”... And of this, without any doubt, reflection by the writer personal experience, personal drama, personal experiences.
Having lived in close contact with the Viardot family for about 40 years, he still felt deeply and hopelessly alone. On this basis, Turgenev’s depiction of love grew, so characteristic even of his always melancholic creative manner. Turgenev is the singer of unsuccessful love par excellence. He has almost no happy ending, the last chord is always sad. Turgenev's heroes are always timid and indecisive in their affairs of the heart: so was Ivan Sergeevich himself. At the same time, none of the Russian writers paid so much attention to love, no one idealized a woman to such an extent as he did. This was an expression of his desire to lose himself in dreams, daydreams, illusion...
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“I took advantage of the fact that she did not raise her eyes and began to examine her, first furtively, then more and more boldly. Her face seemed to me even more charming than the day before: everything about it was so subtle, smart and sweet. She sat with her back to the window, which was hung with a white curtain; Sunbeam, breaking through this curtain, bathed in soft light her fluffy, golden hair, her innocent neck, sloping shoulders and tender, calm breasts... She was wearing a dark, already worn dress with an apron; I think I would willingly caress every fold of this dress and this apron... I looked at her - and how dear and close she became to me.” ("The Tale of First Love")
“Sanin stood up and saw above him such a wonderful, frightened, excited face, such huge, terrible, magnificent eyes - he saw such a beauty that his heart froze, he pressed his lips to a thin strand of hair that fell on his chest - and only could say: “Oh, Gemma!” ("Spring Waters")
“She ran towards the house. I ran after her - and a few moments later we were spinning in a cramped room, to the sweet sounds of Lanner. Asya waltzed beautifully, with enthusiasm. Something soft and feminine suddenly appeared through her girlish, stern appearance. For a long time afterwards my hand felt the touch of her tender figure, for a long time I heard her rapid, close breathing, for a long time I imagined dark, motionless, almost closed eyes on a pale but lively face, playfully outlined with curls.” (“Asya”)
“I knew other women, but the feeling that Asya aroused in me, that burning, tender, deep feeling, was not repeated... Condemned to the loneliness of a familyless bog, I live out boring years, but I keep her notes and a dried flower like a shrine geranium, the same flower that she once threw to me from the window...” (“Asya”)
“Finally a letter arrived - with an American postage stamp - from New York addressed to him... Gemma! Tears flowed from his eyes... He unfolded a thin sheet of blue notepaper and a photograph slipped out. He hastily picked her up - and was stunned: Gemma, living Gemma, young, as he knew her thirty years ago. The same eyes, the same lips, the same type of whole face. On the back of the photograph was written: “My daughter, Marianna.” The whole letter was very affectionate and simple... for twenty-eight years now she has been living with her husband happily, in contentment and abundance: their house is known throughout New York. Gemma informed Sanin that she had five children... In early May, Sanin returned to St. Petersburg - but hardly for long. It is heard that he is selling all his estates and is going to America.” ("Spring Waters")
After the death of Pauline Viardot, a manuscript by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev was found in her table, which was called “Turgenev. Life for art." They say that it was about how these two loving each other a person melted all his feelings, thoughts, suffering, wanderings of restless souls into art. Roman is missing. Throughout the 20th century they tried to find it in European countries. And not only Europe. But so far no success...
September, 2006
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From book
LOVE in letters of outstanding people of the 18th and 19th centuries (reprint edition). M., 1990. S. 519-529.
I. S. Turgenev - Pauline Viardot
Paris, Sunday evening, June 1849.
Good evening. How are you doing in Courtavanel? I bet a thousand against one that you won’t guess what... But I’m good at holding a thousand against one - because you already guessed at the sight of this piece of music paper. Yes, madam, it was I who composed what you see - music and words, I give you my word! How much labor, sweat, and mental torment it cost me is beyond description. I found the motive pretty soon - you understand: inspiration! But then picking it up on the piano, and then writing it down... I tore up four or five drafts: and yet, even now, I’m not sure that I didn’t write something monstrously impossible. What tone could this be? I had to the greatest work collect all the musical crumbs that surfaced in my memory; This gives me a headache: what a lot of work! Anyway, maybe this will make you laugh for a minute or two.
However, I feel incomparably better than I sing - tomorrow I will go out for the first time. Please arrange a bass for this, like for those notes that I wrote at random. If your brother Manuel saw me at work, it would make him remember the poems he composed on the Courtavenel Bridge, describing convulsive circles with his feet and making graceful rounded movements with his hands. Damn it! Is it really that difficult to compose music? Meyerbeer is a great man!!!
Courtavenelle, Wednesday.
Here, madam, is your second newsletter.
Everyone is quite healthy: Bree’s air is positively very healthy. It is now half past eleven in the morning, we are impatiently waiting for the postman, who, I hope, will bring us good news.
Yesterday was less monotonous than the day before yesterday. We have done long walk, and then in the evening, during our game of whist, a great event happened. Here's what happened: a big rat got into the kitchen, and Veronica, whose stocking she had eaten the day before (what a voracious animal! wherever it would go, if only it were Muller's stocking), had the knack of plugging a rag and two large stones into the hole that served retreat to the rat. She comes running and tells us this great news. We all get up, we all arm ourselves with sticks and enter the kitchen. The unfortunate rat took refuge under the coal cabinet; they kick her out of there - she comes out, Veronica throws something at her, but misses; the rat returns under the cabinet and disappears. They search, they search in all corners, but there is no rat. All efforts are in vain; Finally, Veronica gets the idea to pull out a very small drawer... a long gray tail quickly flashes into the air - the cunning cheat has huddled there! She jumps off with the speed of lightning - they want to strike her - she disappears again. This time the search continues for half an hour - nothing! And note that there is very little furniture in the kitchen. Tired of the war, we retire, we sit down to whist again. But then Veronica enters, carrying the corpse of her enemy with tongs. Imagine where the rat hid! In the kitchen there was a chair on the table, and on this chair lay Veronica’s dress - the rat had climbed into one of its sleeves. Notice that I touched this dress four or five times during our search. Don't you admire the presence of mind, the quickness of the eye, the energy of character of this little animal? A man, in such danger, would lose his head a hundred times over; Veronica was about to leave and give up the search when, unfortunately, one of the sleeves of her dress moved slightly... the poor rat deserved to save its skin...
This last expression reminded me that I had read in the National the sad news that several German democrats had apparently been arrested. Is Mueller one of them? I am also afraid for Herzen. Give me news about him, I ask you. The reaction is completely intoxicated with its victory and will now express all its cynicism.
The weather today is very pleasant, but I would like something different from the milky sky and light breeze that makes me wonder if it is too fresh. You will bring us good weather. We don't expect you until Saturday.
We submitted to this... A small note from the management in the newspaper leaves us with no illusions about this. Patience! But how happy we will be to see you again!
I leave a little space for Louise and for others, (Letters from Louise and Bertha follow).
P.S. We finally received the letter (half past four). Thank God everything went well on Tuesday. For God's sake, take care of yourself. A thousand friendly greetings to you and others.
Tausend Grusse.
Ihr Iv. Turgenev.
No more reeds! Your ditches have been cleaned out and humanity has breathed freely. But it didn't come without difficulty. We worked like blacks for two days, and I have the right to say we, since I also took some part. If you had seen me, especially yesterday, dirty, wet, but shining! The reed was very long, and it was very difficult to pull it out, the more difficult it was the more fragile it was. In the end, it's done!
It is now three days that I have been alone at Courtavenel; and what! I swear to you that I don't miss you. I work a lot in the morning, I ask you to believe this and I will show you the proof……………….
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By the way, just between you and me, your new gardener is a little lazy; he almost let the oleanders die because he did not water them, and the beds around the flower garden were in poor condition; I didn’t say anything to him, but began to water the flowers and weed the weeds myself. This silent but eloquent hint was understood, and a few days later everything was in order. He is too talkative and smiles more than he should; but his wife is a good, diligent woman. Don't you find this last phrase unheard of impudence in the mouth of such a great lazy person like me?
Have you forgotten the little white rooster? So this rooster is a real demon. He fights with everyone, especially with me; I offer him a glove, he rushes, grabs it and lets himself be carried like a bulldog. But I noticed that every time, after the battle, he comes to the door of the dining room and screams like mad until he is given food. What I take for courage in him can only be the impudence of a jester, who knows well that they are joking with him and making him pay himself for his work! Oh, illusion! this is how they lose you... Mr. Lamartine, sing this to me.
These details from the poultry yard and from the village will probably make you smile, you who are preparing to sing the Prophet in London... It must seem very idyllic to you... Meanwhile, I imagine that reading these details will give you some pleasure .
Notice - what aplomb!
So, you resolutely chant the Prophet, and you do it all, you manage everything... Don't get too tired. I conjure you by heaven so that I know in advance the day of the first performance... This evening in Courtavenel they will go to bed no earlier than midnight. I confess
I look forward to you very, very much great success. May God bless you and keep you in excellent health. This is all I will ask of Him; the rest is up to you……………………………….
Since, however, I have a lot of free time at my disposal in Courtavenelle, I use it to do completely ridiculous nonsense. I assure you that from time to time this is necessary for me; Without this safety valve I run the risk of one day becoming very stupid indeed.
For example, last night I composed music to the following words:
Un jour une chaste bergere
Vit dans un fertile verger
Assis sur la verte fougere,
Un jeune et pudique etranger.
Timide, ainsi q"une gazelle
Elle allalt fuir quand, tout a coup,
Aux yeux eflrayes de la belle
S"offre un epouvantable loup:
Al"aspect de sa dent qui grace
La bergere se trouva mal.
A lors pour la sauver, le prince
Se fit manger par l"animal.
By the way, I apologize to you for writing you such nonsense.
Friday the 20th, 10 a.m. evenings.
Hello, what are you doing now? I am sitting in front of a round table in a large living room... The deepest silence reigns in the house, only the whisper of the lamp can be heard.
I really worked very well today; I was caught in a thunderstorm and rain during my walk.
Tell me, Viardot, that there are a lot of quails this year.
Today I had a conversation with Jean regarding the Prophet. He told me very profound things, among other things, that “theory is the best practice.” If this were said to Muller, he would probably throw his head to the side and back, opening his mouth and raising his eyebrows. On the day of my departure from Paris, this poor man had only two and a half francs; Unfortunately, I couldn't give him anything.
Listen, although I do not have den politischen Pathos, I am outraged by one thing: this assignment entrusted to General Lamorissiere for the main apartment of Emperor Nicholas. This is too much, this is too much, I assure you. Poor Hungarians! An honest man, in the end, will not know where to live: our young people are still barbarians, like my dear compatriots, or, if they get on their feet and want to go, they are crushed, like the Hungarians; and our old ones die and infect, since they have already rotted and are themselves infected. In this case, you can sing with Roger: “And God does not thunder over these wicked heads?” But enough! And then, who said that man is destined to be free? History proves the opposite to us. Goethe, of course, did not write his famous verse out of a desire to be a court flatterer:
Der Mensch ist nicht geboren frei zu sein.
It is simply a fact, a truth that he expressed as the accurate observer of nature that he was.
Till tomorrow.
This does not prevent you from being something extremely beautiful... You see, if there were no creatures like you here and there on earth, then it would be sickening to look at yourself... See you tomorrow.
Willkommen, theuerste, liebste Frau, nach siebenjahri-ger Freundschaft, willkommen an diesem mir heiligen Tag! God willing, we could spend the next anniversary of this day together and that seven years later our friendship would remain the same.
I went today to look at the house where I first had the good fortune to talk to you seven years ago. This house is located on Nevsky, opposite Alexandrinsky Theater; your apartment was on the very corner - do you remember? In my entire life there are no memories more precious than those that relate to you... I am pleased to feel within myself, after seven years, the same deep, true, unchanging feeling dedicated to you; This consciousness affects me beneficially and soulfully, like a bright ray of sunshine; Apparently, I am destined for happiness if I deserve to have the reflection of your life mixed with mine! As long as I live, I will try to be worthy of such happiness; I began to respect myself since I carried this treasure within me. You know, what I tell you is true, as true as a human word can be... I hope that reading these lines will give you some pleasure... and now let me fall at your feet.
My dear, good m-me Viardot, theuerste, lieb-ste, beste Frau, how are you? Have you already debuted? Do you often think about me? there is not a day when my dear memory of you does not come to mind hundreds of times; There is not a night when I don’t see you in my dreams. Now, in separation, I feel more than ever the strength of the ties that bind me to you and your family; I am happy because I enjoy your sympathy, and sad because I am so far from you! I ask heaven to send me patience and not to delay too much that moment, blessed a thousand times in advance, when I see you again!
My work for Sovremennik is finished and it turned out better than I expected. This, in addition to “Notes of a Hunter,” is another story where I, in a slightly embellished form, depicted a competition between two folk singers, which I attended two months ago. The childhood of all peoples is similar, and my singers reminded me of Homer. Then I stopped thinking about it, because otherwise the pen would have fallen out of my hands. The competition took place in a tavern, and there were many original personalities there, which I tried to sketch a la Teniers... Damn it! which big names I quote every chance I get! You see, we little writers, worth two sous, need strong crutches in order to move.
In a word, I liked my story - and thank God!
1. “Time and people.”
