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When the good Russian classical music composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky visited the United States in late April/early Might in 1891 he was shocked and bewildered past perception.
The journey didn’t begin off nicely. Regardless of his identify – Tchaikovsky in Russian means “like a sea gull” – the composer was undoubtedly not in his factor, experiencing debilitating sea illness whereas crossing the Atlantic. To not point out a hurricane!
When he arrived at his New York resort he was bowled over by one gorgeous shock after one other. Regardless of having stayed on the most interesting lodges in main European cities like Vienna, Paris, Rome and London he had by no means been in a resort with electrical lights! Furthermore, the resort had personal loos in each room with cold and hot working water and a tubular system with which to speak immediately with the entrance desk ! The following shock got here on his first night time in New York Metropolis when he was completely flabbergasted by the various “negroes” among the many pedestrians.
Tchaikovsky was not a vacationer, nonetheless, he was invited to conduct one among his compositions and feted as an internationally well-known composer of the best order. He was particularly invited to take part within the inaugural live performance at Carnegie Corridor’s grand opening (initially simply known as “The Music Corridor”) and handled like a famous person.
Tchaikovsky frolicked with the philanthropist who offered the cash to construct the live performance corridor and was shocked to discover a man who – regardless of being one of many wealthiest males in America – did not placed on airs or act in any respect in a superior method. Pyotr Ilyich was additionally amazed by the uncanny resemblance of Carnegie to the good Russian playwright Ostrovksy and that the philanthropist was an enormous admirer of Moscow! The composer and the Capitalist extraordinaire acquired alongside extraordinarily nicely laughing and joking for hours on finish.
This nice shock was offset, nonetheless, by an disagreeable one. The day after his live performance the newspapers spent as a lot time describing his bodily look as they did his music. Pyotr Ilyich was not solely disturbed by this, he discovered it odd and remarkably superficial. After a live performance in Philadelphia, a newspaper columnist wrote about his disappointment in seeing a person who “didn’t seem like a composer”. Tchaikovsky had no thought what this journalist may presumably imply. Furthermore, the journalist expressed additional disappointment that Tchaikovsky did not have your typical traditional “Slavic options” like Anton Rubenstein (!)
One other shock occurred when Tchaikovsky met with the Russian ambassador in Philadelphia. A gifted musician in his personal proper, the ambassador and Pyotr Ilyich wound up enjoying piano duets collectively at a celebration.
Amongst his different discoveries had been that the overwhelming majority of individuals had been mono-lingual and that males who had been shut associates or kinfolk shook arms vigorously as a substitute of kissing every different.
Undoubtedly the best shock, nonetheless, was the truth that Tchaikovsky was – as he mentioned – “ten occasions extra standard in America than in Europe”.
That… was essentially the most nice shock.
This publish first appeared on Russia Insider
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