exacting, were to be respected, and in consequence came greatly to appreciate criticism from Taneyev. In fact, Taneyev became the only one of Tchaikovsky's friends encouraged by the composer to be absolutely frank about his works. Taneyev's frankness came at a price, however, and that price for Tchaikovsky was forbearance in the face of a forthrightness that frequently reached the point of absolute bluntness. This meant that, while Tchaikovsky appreciated Taneyev's views and welcomed them, he did not always like them. The postscript to a letter Tchaikovsky wrote to Taneyev about Eugene Onegin and the Fourth Symphony sums up his general frame of mind: "I know you are absolutely sincere and I think a great deal of your judgment. But I also fear it." Tchaikovsky's use of the word "fear" was not exaggerated. The music writer and composer Leonid Sabaneyev studied composition with Taneyev as a child and met Tchaikovsky through him. To Sabaneyev, Tchaikovsky really did seem afraid of Taneyev in some ways. He also suggests why: I think he was unnerved by the overt frankness with which Taneyev reacted to Tchaikovsky's works: Taneyev believed that one must indicate precisely what one finds to be 'faults,' while strong points would make themselves evident. He was hardly fully justified in his conviction: composers are a nervous lot and they are often particularly dissatisfied with themselves. Tchaikovsky was just such a person: he worried himself almost sick over each work and often tried even to destroy them... Sabaneyev recalled Tchaikovsky's coming to Taneyev with his Fifth Symphony. Taneyev started playing through part of the manuscript at the piano. "With characteristic pedantry Taneyev began showing Tchaikovsky what he considered to be faults, thereby sending Tchaikovsky into even greater despair. Tchaikovsky grabbed the music and wrote across the page with a red pencil: "Awful muck." Still not satisfied with this punishment, he tore the sheet of music in half and threw it on the floor. Then he ran out of the room. Despondently Taneyev picked up the music and told me: "Pyotr Ilyich takes everything to heart. After all, he himself asked me to give my opinion..." Despite Tchaikovsky's notoriously thin skin when it came to criticism, he could not take any lasting offense at such transparent honesty, especially when Taneyev's assessments could show a great deal of perception. Even if the manner in which Taneyev presented his comments made them sting all