Author Topic: Alexandra's Personal World  (Read 225756 times)

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Alexander1917

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #450 on: April 12, 2008, 07:58:05 AM »
Hello,
I just find a picture of Diadéme of aquamarine Alexandra:

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj213/Alexandre64_2007/Romanov%20Jewel/aguamarinasdiamantesalix1.jpg

The complete set of Alix's aquamarine....

Offline amartin71718

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #451 on: June 23, 2008, 09:42:30 PM »
I read in RKM's "Nicholas and Alexandra" something about Alexandra playing a banjo. Can anyone shed some more light on this topic?
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Thomas_Hesse

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #452 on: June 24, 2008, 05:15:40 AM »

This is indeed true! Princess Alix not only got piano and singing lessons but it seems that she even learned playing the banjo and the guitar. She used to play with Minnie Cochrane, lady-in-waiting to her Aunt Princess Beatrice of GB, "singing Niggersongs". I don't know whether she did it after her marriage

Offline Michael HR

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #453 on: June 24, 2008, 06:29:35 AM »
I have this image of the Empress playing the banjo and sounding like George Formby! :)

What an interesting bit of information.
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Offline amartin71718

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #454 on: June 24, 2008, 01:29:05 PM »
Do you think she played American Bluegrass? That would be cool if she did.
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mr_harrison75

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #455 on: June 25, 2008, 06:36:18 PM »
This is something I didn't know!

I can see where the grand'duchesses' talent for playing music came from...

I wonder what repertoire the Tsaritsa was playing...

Offline amartin71718

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #456 on: June 29, 2008, 06:10:41 PM »
Anyone have any idea when she started playing?
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Thomas_Hesse

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #457 on: July 02, 2008, 03:03:26 AM »
guess in the late 80ies. The letter were I read about Minnie Cochrane dates from 1893

Offline amartin71718

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #458 on: July 04, 2008, 02:05:54 PM »
I remember reading in Peter Kurth's Tsar, that she spoke with an Anglo-German housewifey trill. Don't know if that helps, but there you go.
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Dctalk3185

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #459 on: July 08, 2008, 05:10:17 PM »
Hello, I was just wondering if anyone knows what music Alexandra might have played on the piano in her free time. I know she adored Richard Wagner, but what specific music did she play (was it very challenging or just average). Maybe list some music pieces that were popular to play in the turn of the century. This may be a detail that no one knows, but a guess or something that would be in the ball park would help. Thanks!

Offline nena

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #460 on: July 08, 2008, 05:19:27 PM »
Alix loved German's compositers, wagner, for example. She listen his music while she was child. Also, I believe Olga is playing a piano on that on pic.
I am guessing baladies and classic music, in that Imperial Times....... ;)
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Thomas_Hesse

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #461 on: July 09, 2008, 03:23:13 AM »

The photo was published (and mis-identified Alexandra) in an exhibitioncatalog. It is definitely not her - I too think it is Olga (due to the nose; Tatiana was more slender).

I read that only the eldest daughter had a considerable gift for music - the others seem to have played "quite well" but nothing more. Alexandra - as a highly gifted and trained pianist (inherited from her mother and grandfather who were both brilliant players) definitely had some lessons with her children too but of course there was no time to teach them frequently (I think it is necessary to get lessons from a "stranger" - because if only "Mama" teaches one, the little Ones are not as serious as they have to :))

Alexandra - as you said - loved Wagner and played most of his operas (even for Queen Victoria). She loved Brahms who frequently visited Darmstadt in stayed in contact with her mother Alice and her private scretary Dr. Becker (whose daughter Antonie "Toni" became one of Alix's closest friends). She also played Beethoven sonatas and much much more I presume (look at the incountable music-books in the photograph with Olga).
Mabye some are preserved at GARF or somewhere?

Offline Sarushka

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #462 on: July 09, 2008, 07:00:13 AM »
Tatiana at the piano in Peterhof:



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Offline amartin71718

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #463 on: July 19, 2008, 03:50:12 PM »
Does anyone know how good she was at playing the guitar and banjo?
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tom_romanov

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Re: Alexandra's Personal World
« Reply #464 on: July 22, 2008, 12:59:01 PM »
i read in some book that alexandra eat in bed. i dont know if it is ture and wouldn't it annoy Nicholas? ( i think they shared a bed)