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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Difference between revisions

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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:


{{quote|text=It gave him strong emotional experience. ''"My attitude to church completely differs from yours,"'' Tchaikovsky wrote to Nadežda von Meck. ''"For me it still keeps plenty of poetic charm. I attend mass very often; in my opinion, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom is one of the greatest  artistic works. Being attentive at our Orthodox service and going carefully into the sense of every ceremony, you are certainly touched by the spirit. I also love all night vigil. To go on Saturday to an old small church, to stand in twilight filled with incense smoke, to dip into yourself and to search inside yourself for the answer to eternal questions: what for, when, where to, why?, awaking from  muse when the choir begins to sing "From my youth many passions possess me", and to give yourself up to the influence of the fascinating poetry of this psalm, to be filled with some quiet admiration, when holy doors open and it is heard "Praise God from Heaven!", - oh, I like all that enormously, it is one of my greatest delights!"''<ref>Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 1, p. 91 (letter from Vienna, November 23 - December 5, 1877)</ref> In another letter the composer writes: ''"This week I have attended many church services and experienced great artistic delight. The Orthodox service acts upon the soul amazingly, if it is arranged, for example, like here in the Church of the Saviour!"''<ref>Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 3, p. 270 (letter from the way from Moscow to Kamenka, April 7, 1884)</ref>|author=Yelena Dyachkova|source=Tchaikovsky and the Bible}}
{{quote|text=It gave him strong emotional experience. ''"My attitude to church completely differs from yours,"'' Tchaikovsky wrote to Nadežda von Meck. ''"For me it still keeps plenty of poetic charm. I attend mass very often; in my opinion, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom is one of the greatest  artistic works. Being attentive at our Orthodox service and going carefully into the sense of every ceremony, you are certainly touched by the spirit. I also love all night vigil. To go on Saturday to an old small church, to stand in twilight filled with incense smoke, to dip into yourself and to search inside yourself for the answer to eternal questions: what for, when, where to, why?, awaking from  muse when the choir begins to sing "From my youth many passions possess me", and to give yourself up to the influence of the fascinating poetry of this psalm, to be filled with some quiet admiration, when holy doors open and it is heard "Praise God from Heaven!", - oh, I like all that enormously, it is one of my greatest delights!"''<ref>Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 1, p. 91 (letter from Vienna, November 23 - December 5, 1877)</ref> In another letter the composer writes: ''"This week I have attended many church services and experienced great artistic delight. The Orthodox service acts upon the soul amazingly, if it is arranged, for example, like here in the Church of the Saviour!"''<ref>Pëtr Il'ic Cajkovskij, ''Perepiska s N. F. fon-Mekk'', vol. 3, p. 270 (letter on the way from Moscow to Kamenka, April 7, 1884)</ref>|author=Yelena Dyachkova|source=Tchaikovsky and the Bible}}


==Music==
==Music==