Peter Tschaikowsky

In my opinion, the thing has turned out splendidly, and provided that the winds' lips and the strings' fingers aren't over-taxed by the end, the effect, in my view, will be colossal. Do not alter anything now, because this will be very unwelcome for me. If anything turns out to be awkward, then we'll fix it at rehearsals. It seems to me that the instrumentation is colourful and brilliant, and there's only one thing I'm afraid of: between from the return of the 2nd theme and the end, the difficulty might be beyond the bounds of possibility. But here I am not to blame; I couldn't come up with anything else! Once more, I would ask that if you find anything not to your taste, that you don't alter anything without me! And generally, glance through it and pass it quickly to the copyists. A thousand regards to Katerine Ivanovna. Yours, P. Tchaikovsky 1. Tchaikovsky completed the orchestration of Herman Laroche's overture-fantasia on 9/21 September 1888, according to a note on the title page. In some sources this overture is mistakenly confused with as Laroche's earlier Carmosine (Кармозина). 2. The overture-fantasia was not performed in the first Russian Musical Society concert of the season in Moscow, conducted by Max Erdmannsdörfer on 22 October/3 November 1888. Its premiere took place under Tchaikovsky's direction, at his Philharmonic Society concert in Saint Petersburg on 5/17 November 1888, but without success. See Letter 3672 to Modest Tchaikovsky, 19 September/1 October 1888..