Meeting A Prince

 

Photo Credit: Vaslav Nijinsky and his sister Bronislava Nijinska in the ballet L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune.

Bronislava Nijinska memory of when she spent time with her brother Vaslav Nijinsky's new friend Prince Lvov.  Their Mother was rather fond of the Prince since he helped her avoid a court summons when her husband never payed her debt off from 1904 which she was under the assumption that he did and was full of fear when she discovered that wasn't true.  The Prince and his attorney took care of everything which put Bronislava and Nijinsky's mother at ease and she avoided the court summons.  

Bronislava Nijinska recounts the memory when she met a Prince and experienced a concert with her brother Nijinsky and the Prince in her own words.

"Prince Lvov, Chamberlain of His Highness and secretary of the Minister of Transport and Communications, was then about thirty-five years old, six feet tall and had dark brown hair, which he wore smoothly combed and parted. He was clean shaven except for a small mustache above his rather full lips. His highly arched eyebrows above his slightly bulging blue eyes and his long face with a narrow, high-bridged nose all gave him an air of aristocratic distinction. The Prince, however has such tactful and friendly manners that he made everyone feel at ease in his presence and not at all uncomfortable because of any difference in social rank."

"I think it was through Mikhail Fokine and his brother, Alexander, that Vaslav first met Prince Lvov. Alexander Fokine was not a dancer, he was a sportsman and an athlete who competed in many championship events. He was a champion oarsman and for a time held the title of World Champion in long-distance bicycle racing."

"As Prince Lvov, who was a patron of many sports and athletic organizations, was interested in all kinds of competition, he would often take Vaslav, and sometimes me, to watch a sporting event. Through I went to both bicycle races and horse shows, I preferred the latter. I enjoyed watching the Concours Hippique, with the women dressed in scarlet riding outfits, jumping over all the obstacles as they rode side saddle on their beautiful thoroughbred horses."

"I also liked the display of the Imperial Guards in their magnificent, colorful uniforms. I believe Prince Lvov was the very first person in St. Petersburg to own a car. He possessed both a sedan and a four-seater coupe in which he often took us out for a ride. I remember one day when we were driving out to the Islands. How cold the wind seemed to be blowing, the car was going so fast!"

"Lvov and Vaslav were sitting in the front seats, while Mama and I were in the back. I was wearing a thin coat and was shivering in the corner under a blanket. Prince Lvov turned to tell us something, and when he saw how cold I was he gave me his fur coat and sheltered me from the wind, even though he risked getting cold himself. Soon he stopped the car in front of a restaurant, The Ernest, and said we must go in to warm up."

"I was not the only one who was cold, for even Vaslav, in spite of his winter coat with an astrakhan fur collar, was rubbing his face and ears."

"As we entered The Ernest, which reminded me of a Cafe-Chantant, I tried to hide behind Vaslav. I was afraid that if I were seen and recognized I could be expelled from the Imperial Theatrical School. Prince Lvov, noticing my uneasiness, took us into a private room. He made me a drink a rowanberry brandy; I had difficulty swallowing it, and afterwards could hardly stand on my feet. After we had supper he called his chauffeur to bring more blankets and another car to us home."

"Almost every Saturday evening Vaslav and Prince Lvov attended a symphony concert at the Dvorianskoye Sobranie, Salle de la Noblesse. The concerts were the same ones that had just been presented in Paris, by Sergei Diaghilev---- concerts of Russian music, with Rachmaninoff and Rimsky-Korsakov playing their own works."

"There were other famous artists and conductors of international renown, such as Arthur Nikisch and Felix Mottl, and also a young pianist, Josef Hoffman. I went only once and then asked Vaslav not to invite me again. It was not that I did not enjoy the program, but I felt very uncomfortable in the beautiful concert hall in the middle of such an elegantly dressed audience. All the ladies were in evening dress, with white gloves, precious jewels and fancy hairdos. I was modestly dressed in a white batiste embroidered blouse and a navy skirt that came only just below the knee. My hair was tightly pulled back in a braid tied with a silk ribbon. It seemed to me that I was attracting the attention of everyone in the parterre, though probably they only noticed "a schoolgirl who liked music."

"After that, whenever they went to a concert, Prince Lvov always brought me a box of chocolates or marzipan or petits fours, or sometimes a basket of fresh fruit. He often gave Mother gift boxes filled with all kinds of delicacies caviar, salmon, pate de foie gras, cheeses and french white wine."

"On the evenings when Vaslav was going to a concert he would change as soon as we had finished dinner. After he has put on his white starched shirt he would ask me to knot his bow tie. I was always nervous about this, apprehensive lest I not succeed the first time, for I knew it would annoy Vaslav if he was not ready when Prince Lvov came and usually around seven o'clock. They liked to leave almost immediately, not wanting to be late for the concert that began at eight o'clock."

"At this time Vaslav did not yet have a tailcoat but wore his dinner jacket for the evening. I admired how handsome he looked and though to myself how much better evening clothes suited him than his everyday suit. I was so anxious to learn how to knot a man's bow tie so that it would be just right for Vaslav, that I would practice during the week in our room at the School by tying a bow on the end of my braid."

"It would be late by the time Vaslav returned from the concert and though I wanted to hear all about it I would already be asleep. On Sunday mornings Mama and I would go to church early, and Vaslav would often still be asleep when we came home from Mass. It was always difficult to get him up in the morning; he would be angry at being disturbed and want to stay in bed."

"But over out light breakfast, the same as usually had in the School- tea, hot rolls, and butter- he would tell us all about the concert the evening before: the music he had heard and who he has seen. I never seemed to have enough time with Vaslav on a Sunday, for soon he would leave to teach his classes. I wanted him to tell me all about the performances in the Maryinsky Theatre."- Quote from Bronislava Nijinska meeting Prince Lvov

You can definitely tell how starstruck Bronislava Nijinska is meeting Prince Lvov from how detailed she is about his looks and how detailed she is on the Prince caring for her family.  She is even more touched when he gives her his coat when she is shivering from the cold. You can tell she has admiration for the Prince I wouldn't say it's a crush I would say she looks up to him like she does her brother. She even talks about how because she no longer attends the performances because she felt uncomfortable how everyone in the theatre would stare at her because of her clothes and age.  Prince Lvov would bring her and her mother gifts. She talks a lot about Prince Lvov and I think it's because she had never met anyone like him before.

Bronislava is also back to worrying about her brother's appearance to others when he asks her to tie his bowtie for the going to the theatre she's anxious since she doesn't want to mess up on the tie and make her brother late where he will get upset. Upsetting her brother seems to be a big worry for her because she admires him so much and is proud of him she wants others to see the same she does for her brother so she takes upon herself to practice tying the bow so her brother will be happy.

You also feel the disconnect between the siblings where Bronislava Nijinska wants to spend more time with her brother Nijinsky like they did when they were children but because he comes home late from the concerts and she's already sleeping or she gets up early and Nijinsky is sleeping or needs to get to his classes she misses out on her time with him. You can definitely feel her disappointment when she doesn't learn about the Maryinsky performances from him.