Nadezhda von Meck

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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.

1 Early life
2 Business Success of Karl von Meck
3 Support of the Performing Arts
4 Relationship with Tchaikovsky
5 Dedication to Nadezhda von Meck
6 Donation by Galina Nikolaevna von Meck
7 Books
8 References
9 External link

[edit] 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.

[edit] Business Success of Karl von Meck

In the years following their marriage, Mr. von Meck became a multi-millionaire through his work in the railroad industry. Unfortunately Mr. von Meck died in 1871, leaving his widow in charge of his vast financial holdings. This allowed her to become a major patron for the arts.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.)

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 perseverance 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.

[edit] Dedication to Nadezhda von Meck

Tchaikovsky, as a sign of appreciation, dedicated his fourth symphony and his Pokhoronnyi marsh (also known as the FUNERAL MARCH, written in 1877; now lost) to her.

[edit] 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 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 the daughter of Nikolai von Meck and Anna von Meck, Tchaikovsky's niece.