Nadezhda von Meck.

Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck (1831-1894) was a wealthy Russian widow best known for her relationship with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. She was also active in providing financial support to Nikolai Grigoryevich Rubinstein and Claude Debussy. Image File history File links Nadezhda Von Meck File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Nadezhda Von Meck File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky   listen? (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Categories: Stub | 1835 births | 1881 deaths | Russian composers | Pianists | Russian musicians ... Claude Debussy (Achille-) Claude Debussy (August 22, 1862 – March 25, 1918) was a composer of impressionistic European classical music. ...

Early Life

She was born into the Frolovsky family, which had large landholdings. From an early age her father, Filaret Frolovsky, embraced a love of music. In 1847 she married Karl von Meck. Together they had 18 children, of whom 11 survived into adulthood. One of these children, Nikolay Karlovich von Meck, married Anna Davydova. Anna's mother was the composer Tchaikovsky's sister, thus Anna was Tchaikovsky's niece, and became Nadezhda von Meck's daughter-in-law. For some reason this part of the relationship between Tchaikovsky and his patron, Nadezhda von Meck, is usually ignored by biographers, some of whom like to refer to the "mystery" of that relationship. Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Music Look up Music in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikisource, as part of the 1911 Encyclopedia Wikiproject, has original text related to this article: Music Wikicities has a wiki about Music: Music Music City : a collaborative music database All Music Guide... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Business Success of Karl Von Meck

In the years following their marriage Mr. Von Meck became a multimillionare though his work in the railroad industry. Unfortunately Mr. Von Meck died in 1871, leaving Ms. Von Meck in charge of his vast financial holdings. This allowed her to become a major patron for the arts. 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Support of the Performing Arts

In the years following Mr. Von Meck's death, she became increasingly involved in the performing arts through financial support to composers such as Nikolay Rubinstein and Claude Debussy.

Relationship with Tchaikovsky

In 1877 she began a platonic relationship with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Despite her insistence that they not meet, the two carried on a significant correspondence, which lasted until 1890. They did encounter each other on two occasions, purely by chance, but did not converse. As their relationship developed, she subsequently provided him with a financial allowance large enough (6000 rubles a year) that he could leave his professorship at the Moscow Conservatory to focus on his creative work full-time. (6000 rubles a year was a small fortune. A petty government official in those days had to support his family on 300-400 rubles a year.) 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Platonic idealism is the theory that the substantive reality around us is only a reflection of a higher truth. ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Moscow Conservatory is a prominent music school in Russia. ...

As well as financial support, she expressed her interest in his musical career and admiration for his music. Her feedback became so important to Tchaikovsky that after the critics lambasted his 5th Symphony she provided him with the perserverance to carry forward.

However, she abruptly cut off her support for the composer. It is widely believed that she did so because she found out about Tchaikovsky's homosexuality. It is possible she was planning to marry off one of her daughters to Tchaikovsky, as she also tried unsuccessfully to marry one of them to Claude Debussy, who had lived in Russia for a time as music teacher to her family. Homosexuality is evil. ...

Dedication to Nadezhda von Meck

Tchaikovsky, as a sign of appreciation, dedicated his fourth symphony and his Pokhoronnyi march to her.

Donation by Galina Nikolaevna Von Meck

In 1985 Galina Nikolaevna von Meck donated to Columbia University a collection of papers in her possession. The papers donated include von Meck's translation of 681 letters written by P.I. Tchaikovsky to his family covering the years March 1861 to September 1893. Galina von Meck is, of course, the daughter of Nikolai von Meck and Anna von Meck, Tchaikovsky's neice. 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Columbia University is a private university in New York City. ...

Books

• To My Best Friend: Correspondence Between Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda Von Meck 1876-1878 By Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Nadezhda Von Meck (1993)
• Beloved Friend: The Story of Tchaikowsky and Nadejda Von Meck By Catherine Drinker Bowen (1975)

References

• The Invisible Muse by Poznansky, Alexander
• essay 1
• Letter on Tchaikowsky's 4th symphony
• html New York Philharmonic Notes on Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony'
• Los Angeles Philharmonic Notes on Tchaikovsky's Dumka for piano, Op. 59 By Hiroshima, Grant
• [- 45k Claude Debussy - the Composer bbc h2g2 reference to Claude Debussy being music teacher to her daughters]

External link

• Bequest by granddaughter of Nadezhda von Meck to Columbia University Rare Books and Manuscript Library