From the Russian Archives: Two New Letters from Hector Berlioz to Alexei Lvov

The Russian tours of Hector Berlioz are still a poorly studied area in the history of music and French-Russian musical relations of the 19th century. That is why the new documents shedding light on this topic are of great value. This article presents two previously un known letters, held in the Russian National Library, from Hector Berlioz to Alexei Lvov - the Director of the Im perial Chapel and an amateur musician. Those letters refer to the period of the French Maestro’s second vi sit to Russia in the beginning of 1868. Originally inten ded for A.F. Lvov personally, they were brought out and published in the journal “Literary Addition to the Nou velliste” (1868). Since then they have not been inclu ded in the collection of Berlioz’s correspondence neither in French nor in Russian. The analysis of the letters (in French and in Russian translation) reveals new details of Berlioz’s Moscow concert in 1867 (about his presen tation of the Russian anthem “God Save the Tsar” com posed by Lvov) and provides Berlioz’s opinion on some of Lvov’s works, including his “Stabat Mater”. At the mo ment, those letters are the latest evidences of the two mu sicians’ longtime correspondence, reflecting their friendly and professional relationship. For H. Berlioz the friendly assistance from the Director of the Imperial Chapel be came the key to his success among the Saint Petersburg aristocracy, and for A.F. Lvov the professional support and the positive assessment of his work by the French Maestro promoted his status as a musician in Russia.

«Боже, Stabat Mater, 1867 год, 1868 год, Hector Berlioz, Alexei Lvov, correspondence, “God Save the Tsar”, Stabat Mater, Literary Addition to the Nouvelliste, 1867, 1868, France, Russia

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