Sergey Prokofiev diaries: 28 July 1913

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

473-474

text excerpt

I did not particularly care for Vera*, but for Nina I certainly did. On one occasion she brought me her autograph album and asked me to write something in it. This is approximately what I wrote:

'The following is an account of events that took place in Gurzuf on 31 July 1913. "Bring me 'Rigaudon' this very instant," squealed Nina shrilly. Obedient to her command I brought the manuscript, played the piece, and enquired whether it would be a good piece to play as an encore at Pavlovsk, should the occasion demand it. "Don't bother, it's such rubbish!" Nina decided. "Nobody will like it anyhow." Ready always to bow to the enlightened opinions of great musicians, on this occasion too I tremblingly accepted the rebuke, and in order to acknowledge in a worthy manner my gratitude for this worthy judgement by presenting a worthy object, resolved to dedicate "Rigaudon" (secretly, of course) to: "Ninochka Meshcherskaya".'

Nina's first reaction on rading this was to be angry, but later she was flattered by the dedication and even tried to play 'Rigaudon', although not quite managing to master it.

excerpt from 'Sergey Prokofiev diaries: 28 July 1913' pp. 473-474 (185 words)

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1446212057094