“The Conservatoire begins already to be repugnant to me, and the lessons I am obliged to give fatigue me as they did last year. Just now I am not working at all. _Romeo and Juliet_ is finished. Yesterday I received a commission from Bessel. He asked me to arrange Rubinstein’s overture to _Ivan the Terrible_. I have had a letter from Balakirev scolding me because I am doing nothing. I hear nothing definite about my opera: they say it will be performed, but the date is uncertain. I often go to the opera. The sisters Marchisio are good, especially in _Semiramide_. Yet when I hear them I am more and more convinced that Artôt is the greatest artist in the world.” _To Modeste Tchaikovsky._ “_November_ 18_th_ (30_th_). “Yesterday I received very sad news from Petersburg. My opera is to wait until next season, because there is not sufficient time to study the two operas which stand before mine in the repertory: Moniuszko’s _Halka_ and Dütsch’s _Croat_. I am not likely therefore to come to Petersburg. From the pecuniary point of view the postponement of my opera is undesirable. Morally, too, it is bad for me; that is to say, I shall be incapable of any work for two or three weeks to come.” _To Modeste Tchaikovsky._ “_January_ 13_th_ (25_th_), 1870. “Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov have been here. We saw each other every day. Balakirev begins to respect me more and more. Korsakov has dedicated a charming song to me. My overture pleased them both, and I like it myself. Besides the overture, I have recently composed a chorus from the opera _Mandragora_, the text of which, by Rachinsky, is already known to you. I intended to write music to this libretto, but my friends dissuaded me, because they considered the opera gave too little scope for stage effects. Now Rachinsky is writing another book for me, called _Raymond Lully_.” Kashkin was one of the friends who dissuaded Tchaikovsky from composing _Mandragora_. The latter played him a ‘Chorus of Insects’ from the unfinished work, which pleased him very much. But he thought the subject more suitable for a ballet than an opera. A fierce argument took place which lasted a long time. Finally, with tears in his eyes, Tchaikovsky came round to Kashkin’s view, and relinquished his intention of writing this opera. It made him very unhappy and more chary in future of confiding his plans to his friends. Laroche gives the following account of this unpublished chorus:--