DEAR MUSLIM!
Today I took a decision to talk to you at all accounts. First,
I thank you and all for congratulations and for money; at Conservatoire
I have paid 126 rubles 20 kopek for January entrants should pay
more.
Yes! At last, I am within the walls of Conservatoire. I have entered
a harmony class, i.e. just that class where theorists are accepted;
if I played the piano well I would have entered a counterpoint
class, i.e. one grade higher. However, it is very difficult to
get in a counterpoint class at once, and I know none example that
somebody would enter a counterpoint class, for even very good
prepared students are advised to remain in a harmony class over
a year. But I am glad anyway, because there are big requirements
and so much work in a harmony class that I did not suppose at
all, by this in general, in the beginning everything seemed to
be easy, but in reality absolutely on the contrary. It is very
difficult to get in Conservatoire.
At present I have a lot of job to do. Every day I go to Conservatoire,
2 times a week I have piano lessons, 2 times - practical harmony,
etc. Each time I should recite, therefore it is necessary to be
prepared for each lesson. Every day I work over 6-7-8 hours! In
the beginning of May transitive examinations are supposed, therefore
it is necessary to work strenuously! In view of all these circumstances
this year I could not write anything new, for Maleyka is a witness
how much I am busy and how I work. If I write something new, it
can be only in summer. I hope, you will spend this year somehow
and enable me not to break away working for the sake of extraneous
earnings.
I do not know how well and where I should be in the summer; the
question is at a loss because of the piano I cannot come off and
I should play all the summer long. But where is the piano in summer
residences? We have postponed this matter decision till May, and
then we shall think.
Our life proceeds very monotonously, though sometimes we dare
to be at symphony concerts that are necessary for me; besides
every Saturday I listen to the best orchestra at Conservatoire
and as a Conservatoire student I have an access in the Marian
theatre several times a year for 50 kopek; once I have already
been and listened to "Loengrin" by Wagner. What a theatre! It's
very difficult to get there. How poor students and attendees are:
to extract tickets for themselves, they are on duty at a theatre
gate over the whole night. Tomorrow we are going with Maleyka
to listen to a symphony concert directed by Glazunov, the rector
of Conservatoire.
So, in spite of the fact that we live in Petersburg, each divine
day we eat shish kebab, which we fry in the oven. It is very tasty,
healthy and cheap, for restaurant dinners ruin the person in every
respect: one leaves there both money and health. In a word, now
we have learned to live like students. Nevertheless the charge
is big, for every step requires money here. Even when you go on
a visit, except for road charges, it is still necessary to pay
to the doorkeeper. Now do write, how all of you are, nobody writes
anything to us, Maleyka misses letters. Tragic death of poor Imran1
affected on me very badly, it is awfully a pity the man.
Bow to Badush and to all our people, kiss Jamulka and write to
us.
Your Uzeyir
S . P. B.
On Febrary 7, 1914
1. Imran Gasimov, a builder and contractor, those
years he often acted as an actor in opera productions; he was
lost having fallen from the constructed building located at the
corner of streets of A.G. Garayev and Polukhin (onetime Female
club named after Ali Bayramov).
