landofnowhere | (Reply)

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Yes, old letters are really a treat!

It's complicated, but in the late 1880s the letters became less frequent because Tchaikovsky's career had taken off and von Meck's health was declining. At the same time, various stuff was going on in the von Meck family, including the eldest son Vladimir wasting the family fortune, and she was under pressure from her family to cut off the relationship with Tchaikovsky, which was causing gossip.

In 1890 Nadezdha von Meck wrote a letter to Tchaikovsky cutting things off completely, citing her financial ruin as an excuse. Tchaikovsky tore up the letter and wrote back that he didn't need the money anymore, but his reply didn't reach von Meck. Some messages were eventually exchanged, and there might have been a reconciliation if Tchaikovsky hadn't died in 1893 (officially of cholera -- his death caused much speculation, but there's very little evidence), and von Meck died of tuberculosis a few months after.