Six lettres en français inédites d'Aleksandr Sergeevič Dargomyžskij

Abstract

Six unpublished letters in french by the Russian composer A. S. Dargomïzhsky The letters which are the subject of this article were sent by the composer to Mr and Mrs Blaes (2) and to his former French schoolmaster, Mr Magis (4). The originals of the letters to the Blaes are in the Pierpont Morgan Library in NYC, the ones to Mr Magis in the Russian National Library of St. Petersburg. The friendship between the Belgian clarinetist Arnold-Joseph Blaes and Dargomïzhsky dates back to the early 1840s, while he was staying in St. Petersburg. This relation went on with the Russian composer's stay in Brussels in 1844, then with the second trip to Russia of Mr Blaes and his wife Elisa Meerti in 1847 and eventually, with Dargomïzhsky's second stay in Brussels in 1864-65. The letters addressed to the Blaes, particularly the second one, show the composer's state of health, moral and his economic situation, which, on account of the numerous economic reforms that took place in Russia while he was abroad, was quite hard. The four letters addressed to Mr Magis, only evidence of the existence of the former schoolmaster, are written in a very confidential tone, in that Dargomïzhsky describes very personal events which changed his life : the death of his beloved father, the end of his love-affair with Ljubov' Miller, and a few details about his second trip abroad, in particular his passing through Leipzig and the hearty and artistically gratifying welcome he received in Brussels.