----------------------------------- Angelo di fuoco Domenica, 16 Dicembre 2007, 15:34 «TUTTO RIMSKIJ-KORSAKOV» ----------------------------------- APPENDIX VIII TO THE ART COUNCIL OF THE ST. PETERSBURG CONSERVATORY Realizing as I do that in a free interchange of opinions every contrary opinion or conviction requires objections made with coolness and restraint, I deem it my duty to express to the Art Council that I regret in the extreme my momentary outburst of temper at the meeting of January 26 [February 8]. But when I analyse in my memory the feeling which provoked that involuntary outburst, I do not feel ashamed of it and find justification for it. Durint the meeting of January 26 [February 8] there were too many speeches, conversations, sundry exclamations and remarks, in which there was expressed with regard to the student youth (which so warmly reacts on present-day events) a hostile sentiment, beginning with formal fault-findings at the insufficient correctness of managing the affair and ending with demands for eradicating "revolution" from the Conservatory's walls. Too much trust was expressed in all manner of gossip and calumnies of the young people, not even excepting the unworthy provocateur's message, in which possibly its anonymity was the only thing that was not approved unanimously. Such speeches and conversations were kept up during the entire meeting by persons hostile from time immemorial, as well as by persons who have but lately assumed an attitude hostile to the liberal movement and the self-government of the Conservatory. On the other hand, only the Director and very few of the staff of instructors spoke in defence of the student youth, whereas to my respected and beloved A. K. Glazunov ther were addressed so many reproaches and so much distrust, which took the final form of a demand that he give his word of honour to support his views, that all of it taken together caused my sudden outburst. The arguments and pleas of some of my colleagues have moved me to retract the words about my leaving the Conservatory, since, in their opinion, this leaving might result in things unfavourable to the very students on whose behalf I had spoken. Now that I have decided to stay at the Conservatory, I cannot help saying that in acting contrary to the resolution of the students' meeting, or ignoring the Students' Committee, the Art Council eo ipso violates the principles of self-government, which were not at all granted to the Conservatory by the provisional rules but had in fact been won by it. By appealing, in the name of lawfulness, justice, and liberty, that a fight be waged against the despotism of the students in the person of their committee, we thereby are preparing a state of undesirable stagnation for the Conservatory, while our hostile attitude towards the representatives and rights of the students even pushes our institution back into the depths ob bygone time. To all the above I add that in case of voting - I cast my ballot for non-resumpiion, in the matter of resuming or not resuming the art classes, on the question of calling a meeting for reconsidering, I vote against calling one; and as to the question of ignoring the Students' Committee as constituted at presenty, I cannot consent to it. In ase the voting results are contrary to the opinions I have expressed, I request that these latter be incorporated in the minutes, to which I beg to add also this present letter. January 30 [February 12], 1906 N. Rimsky-Korsakov