us for what happened next.

Rubinsteins next communication is addressed to

Kaleriya Khristoforovna and informs her of his marriage to Vera Chekuanova
the previous day: Yesterday on the day of my marriage I telegraphed you in
Helingsfors. I hope that you received it.101 On 12 July Rubinstein had married
Vera Chekuanova in Baden-Baden. Of his immediate family only Nikolay was
present, and there were no more than sixteen persons in the church to witness
the ceremony. His sponsors (i.e., those standing in for his parents) were Mme
Chernsheva and Mr. Myuller, and his best man was Mr. Volkov. Those for Vera
were her mother, and Mr. Stolpin (a certain Mr. Bruner gave her away). As you
see, he remarked to his mother, unfamiliar people, or very distant acquain-
tances. But since the marriage was held abroad, it could not be any other way.102
After the ceremony, the couple went directly to Stuttgart. They planned a trip
to Paris, then to take a short holiday in Switzerland. After this they intended
returning to St. Petersburg via Baden-Baden.
Barenboym tells us that Vera was the youngest of several daughters in an im-
poverished family of landowners with a small estate in the Province of Nov-
gorod called Glubokoye.103 The family spent the winter months in St. Peters-
burg, and, according to Vera herself, she met her future husband at a costumed
ball at the Academy of Arts in 1859. He was dressed as a pilgrim and she, as an
Italian girl, and, as they were both fond of dancing, they soon found themselves
partnered in a Strauss waltz. Veras father was a retired ofcer and was arrogant
and conceited. He opposed the match from the start and considered it degrading
for his daughter to marry an artist with no material standing, who had origi-
nated from the Jewish merchants estate. Fortunately for Rubinstein, Vera be-
came a pupil of Pauline Viardot in Russia, and most of the courtship took place
at her convivial home in Baden-Baden.104 In all probability the engagement was
announced in the summer of 1864 when both Anton and Vera were visiting
Pauline.
Rubinstein returned to St. Petersburg with his bride on 28 August/9 Septem-
ber 1865. Yakov Becker met them at the railway station, and they drove straight
to Veras father, where they spent an hour. When they arrived at their new
home, they found Kologrivov, Aleksandr Shustov, Vera Ivasheva,105 and two lady
friends of his wife waiting for them. Evidently Kaleriya Khristoforovna had
taken great care to arrange the apartment for the homecoming of the newly-
weds, for Rubinstein thanked her effusively for all the care she had taken and
for all your love and kindness. On 26 October/7 November 1865 he wrote to
her that he and Vera were settling in well and that they had instituted Sunday
evening receptions attended by many people who came to chat and play cards.
As a rare exception there is a little music, that is, singing with piano accompa-
niment, with Wieniawski, etc.106
One of the eagerly awaited events that fall in St. Petersburg was the premiere
of Serovs new opera, Rogneda, which was presented at the Mariiinsky Theater
on 27 October/ 8 November 1865. The opera scored a huge success with the
public because of its colorful historical setting and vivid folk scenes. Serov had
become intoxicated with his success, Rubinstein remarked, and the public is

114 Anton Rubinstein