Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Difference between revisions
→Religious views
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Tchaikovsky expresses his views on religion and christianity in his letters and in his personal diary. | Tchaikovsky expresses his views on religion and christianity in his letters and in his personal diary. | ||
Touching on the question of eternal life, he writes in a letter to | Touching on the question of eternal life, he writes in a letter to [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]] in 1877: | ||
{{Quote|text=However, conviction is one thing, and instinct and feeling another. Whilst I deny an eternal afterlife, it is with indignation that I reject at the same time the monstrous thought that I shall never see again some loved ones who are now dead. In spite of the triumphant force of my convictions, I shall never reconcile myself to the thought that my mother, whom I so loved and who was such a wonderful person, has disappeared forever and that I will never be able to tell her that even after twenty-three years of separation I still love her the same|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky|source=http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/en/people/index.html}} | {{Quote|text=However, conviction is one thing, and instinct and feeling another. Whilst I deny an eternal afterlife, it is with indignation that I reject at the same time the monstrous thought that I shall never see again some loved ones who are now dead. In spite of the triumphant force of my convictions, I shall never reconcile myself to the thought that my mother, whom I so loved and who was such a wonderful person, has disappeared forever and that I will never be able to tell her that even after twenty-three years of separation I still love her the same|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky|source=http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/en/people/index.html}} | ||
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{{Quote|text=What an infinitely deep abyss between the Old and the New Testament! Am reading the Psalms of David and do not understand why, first, they are placed so high artistically and, second, in what way they could have anything in common with the Gospel. David is entirely worldly. The whole human race he divides into two unequal parts: in one, the godless (here belongs the vast majority), in the other, the godly and at their head he places himself. Upon the godless, he invokes in each psalm divine punishment, upon the godly, reward; but both punishment and reward are earthly. The sinners will be annihilated; the godly will reap the benefits of all the blessings of earthly life. How unlike Christ who prayed for his enemies and to his fellow man promised not earthly blessings but the Kingdom of Heaven. What eternal poetry and, touching to tears, what feeling of love and pity toward mankind in the words: “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” All the Psalms of David are nothing in comparison with these simple words.|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky<ref name="Lakond">Wladimir Lakond, ''The Diaries of Tchaikovsky'' (1945), p. 244</ref>}} | {{Quote|text=What an infinitely deep abyss between the Old and the New Testament! Am reading the Psalms of David and do not understand why, first, they are placed so high artistically and, second, in what way they could have anything in common with the Gospel. David is entirely worldly. The whole human race he divides into two unequal parts: in one, the godless (here belongs the vast majority), in the other, the godly and at their head he places himself. Upon the godless, he invokes in each psalm divine punishment, upon the godly, reward; but both punishment and reward are earthly. The sinners will be annihilated; the godly will reap the benefits of all the blessings of earthly life. How unlike Christ who prayed for his enemies and to his fellow man promised not earthly blessings but the Kingdom of Heaven. What eternal poetry and, touching to tears, what feeling of love and pity toward mankind in the words: “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” All the Psalms of David are nothing in comparison with these simple words.|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky<ref name="Lakond">Wladimir Lakond, ''The Diaries of Tchaikovsky'' (1945), p. 244</ref>}} | ||
This contrast between the Old and New Testament and his admiration for the figure of Christ, and, in particular, for Christ’s exhortation: “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden” ({{Bible quote|version=NABRE|ref=Matthew 11:28}}) — the underlying idea of which he once tried to set into music — are themes he often returned to in those years. Another interesting diary entry is that which he made in [[ | This contrast between the Old and New Testament and his admiration for the figure of Christ, and, in particular, for Christ’s exhortation: “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden” ({{Bible quote|version=NABRE|ref=Matthew 11:28}}) — the underlying idea of which he once tried to set into music — are themes he often returned to in those years. Another interesting diary entry is that which he made in [[tchaikovsky:Maydanovo|Maydanovo]] in 1887, on the same day that his old friend [[tchaikovsky:Nikolay Kondratyev|Nikolay Kondratyev]] died after a long illness in Aachen (where Tchaikovsky had visited him that summer): | ||
'''Yelena Dyachkova''', Ph.D. in History of Arts and Assistant professor at the P.I. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, wrote an interesting essay entitled '''“Tchaikovsky and the Bible”'''. Her thesis begins by stating: | '''Yelena Dyachkova''', Ph.D. in History of Arts and Assistant professor at the P.I. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, wrote an interesting essay entitled '''“Tchaikovsky and the Bible”'''. Her thesis begins by stating: | ||
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{{quote|text=I have forgotten that there are plenty of people who managed to create for themselves an harmonic set of ideas that replaced religion for them. It remains for me only to envy those people. It seems to me that all my life I am doomed to doubt and to look for a way out of contradictions|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky|source=Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 1, p. 111 (letter from Venice, December 5-17, 1877)}} | {{quote|text=I have forgotten that there are plenty of people who managed to create for themselves an harmonic set of ideas that replaced religion for them. It remains for me only to envy those people. It seems to me that all my life I am doomed to doubt and to look for a way out of contradictions|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky|source=Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 1, p. 111 (letter from Venice, December 5-17, 1877)}} | ||
And in 1887 again the composer makes a record in his diary: | And in 1887 again the composer makes a record in his diary touching on his religious beliefs: | ||
{{quote|text=How strange it was for me to read that 365 days ago I was still afraid to acknowledge that, despite all the fervor of sympathetic feelings awakened by Christ, I dared to doubt His Divinity. Since then, my religion has become infinitely more clear; I have been thinking much about God, life and death all this time, and especially in Aachen the fatal questions - what for, how, why? - often occupied me and anxiously flashed before me. It is the religion of mine that I would like to word in detail some time, if only to clarify for myself once and forever my beliefs and that border where they arise after the speculation. However, life with its vanities flies by, and I don't know if I shall have time to express that Credo that has been worked out by me lately. It has been worked out very clearly, but nevertheless, I do not use it for my praying practice yet. I am praying still as before, as I was taught to pray. However, God hardly needs to know how and why people pray. God does not need prayer. But we need it|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky<ref>Wladimir Lakond, ''The Diaries of Tchaikovsky'' (1945), p. 249</ref> <ref>Dnevniki, ''P. I. Cajkovskogo'', p. 213 (record of September 21, 1887)</ref>}} | {{quote|text=How strange it was for me to read that 365 days ago I was still afraid to acknowledge that, despite all the fervor of sympathetic feelings awakened by Christ, I dared to doubt His Divinity. Since then, my religion has become infinitely more clear; I have been thinking much about God, life and death all this time, and especially in Aachen the fatal questions - what for, how, why? - often occupied me and anxiously flashed before me. It is the religion of mine that I would like to word in detail some time, if only to clarify for myself once and forever my beliefs and that border where they arise after the speculation. However, life with its vanities flies by, and I don't know if I shall have time to express that Credo that has been worked out by me lately. It has been worked out very clearly, but nevertheless, I do not use it for my praying practice yet. I am praying still as before, as I was taught to pray. However, God hardly needs to know how and why people pray. God does not need prayer. But we need it|author=Pyotr Tchaikovsky<ref>Wladimir Lakond, ''The Diaries of Tchaikovsky'' (1945), p. 249</ref> <ref>Dnevniki, ''P. I. Cajkovskogo'', p. 213 (record of September 21, 1887)</ref>}} | ||
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{{quote|text=Ironically, Kondrat'ev's words: ''"Pray, my friend, pray. God will help you to get out of this situation"''<ref>Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 1, p. 113-114 (letter from Venice, December 5-17, 1877)</ref>, that had offended Tchaikovsky so much in 1877, appeared to be prophetic.|author=Yelena Dyachkova|source=Tchaikovsky and the Bible}} | {{quote|text=Ironically, Kondrat'ev's words: ''"Pray, my friend, pray. God will help you to get out of this situation"''<ref>Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 1, p. 113-114 (letter from Venice, December 5-17, 1877)</ref>, that had offended Tchaikovsky so much in 1877, appeared to be prophetic.|author=Yelena Dyachkova|source=Tchaikovsky and the Bible}} | ||
It is possible that the Fifth Symphony grew out of some of these reflections, as suggested by Tchaikovsky’s notes on the initial sketches.<ref>see the work history http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/en/Works/Symphonies/TH029.html</ref> | It is possible that the [[tchaikovsky:Symphony No. 5|Fifth Symphony]] grew out of some of these reflections, as suggested by Tchaikovsky’s notes on the initial sketches.<ref>see the work history http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/en/Works/Symphonies/TH029.html</ref> | ||
Though having many doubts about christianity, Tchaikovsky however liked and at times attended Orthodox liturgies. Yelena Dyachkova writes: | Though having many doubts about christianity, Tchaikovsky however liked and at times attended Orthodox liturgies. Yelena Dyachkova writes: | ||