Tchaikovsky Research : Eighteen Pieces, Op. 72 (TH 151)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 187.
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	F minor.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Allegro moderato e giocoso (F minor, 119 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	5 minutes.
Dedication:	Varvara Ivanovna Maslova (d.1905).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 2. Berceuse (Колыбельная песня)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 188 (as "Cradle Song").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	A♭ major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Andante mosso (A♭ major, 80 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	8 minutes.
Dedication:	Petr Moskalev.
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 3. Tendres reproches (Нежные упреки)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 189 (as "Tender Reproaches").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	C♯ minor.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Allegro non tanto ed agitato (C♯ minor, 129 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	3 minutes.
Dedication:	Avgust Antonovich Gerke (1841–1902).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 4. Danse caractéristique (Характеристический танец)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 190 (as "Character Dance").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	D major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Allegro giusto (D major, 218 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	3 minutes.
Dedication:	Anatolii Ivanovich Galli (1845–1915)
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 5. Méditation (Размышление)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 191 (as "Meditation").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	D major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Andante mosso (D major, 85 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	6 minutes.
Dedication:	Vasilii Il'ich Safonov (1852–1918)
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 6. Mazurque pour danser (Мазурка для танец)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 192 (as "Mazurka for Dancing").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	B♭ major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Tempo di Mazurka (B♭ major, 192 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	3 minutes.
Dedication:	Luiza Osipovna Jurgenson.
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 7. Polacca de concert (Концертный полонез)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 193 (as "Concert Polonaise").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	E♭ major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Tempo di Polacca (E♭ major, 166 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	5 minutes.
Dedication:	Paul Pabst (1854–1897).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 8. Dialogue (Диалог)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 194.
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	B major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Allegro moderato (B major, 73 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	5 minutes.
Dedication:	Ekaterina Ivanovna Laroche.
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 9. Un poco di Schumann (Немного Шумана)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 195 (as "A Bit of Schumann").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	D♭ major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Moderato mosso (D♭ major, 95 bars)
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	4 minutes.
Dedication:	Anna Ivanovna Maslova.
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 10. Scherzo-fantaisie (Скерцо-фантазия)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 196 (as "Scherzo-Fantasy").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	E♭ minor.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Vivace assai (E♭ minor, 313 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	6 minutes.
Dedication:	Aleksandr Il'ich Ziloti (1863–1945).
Notes:	Based on the Scherzo from the abandoned Symphony in E♭ major (1892).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 11. Valse-bluette (Вальс-безделушка)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 197 (as "Waltz-Bagatelle").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	E♭ major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Tempo di Valse (E♭ major, 162 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	3 minutes.
Dedication:	Nadezhda Kondrat'eva
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 12. L'espiègle (Резвушка)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 198 (as "Prankish Girl").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	E major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Allegro moderato (E major, 46 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	2 minutes.
Dedication:	Aleksandra Petrovna Svetlovskaia (1869–1946).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 13. Echo rustique (Сельский отзвук)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 199 (as "Rustic Echo").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	E♭ major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Allegro non troppo (E♭ major, 105 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	3 minutes.
Dedication:	Alina Ivanovna Briullova (1849–1932).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 14. Chant élégiaque (Элегическая песня)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 200 (as "Elegiac Song").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	D♭ major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Adagio (D♭ major, 93 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	9 minutes.
Dedication:	To the memory of Vladimir Sklifosovskii.
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 15. Un poco di Chopin (Немного Шопена)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 201 (as "A Bit of Chopin").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	C♯ minor.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Tempo di Mazurka (C♯ minor, 163 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	3 minutes.
Dedication:	Sergei Mikhailovich Remezov (1854–?).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 16. Valse à cinq temps (Вальс в 5/8)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 202 (as "Quintuple Waltz").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	D minor.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Vivace (D major, 100 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	3 minutes.
Dedication:	Nikolai Konstantinovich Lents (1858–?).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 17. Passé lontain (Далекое прошлое)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 203 (as "Distant Past").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	E♭ major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Moderato assai quasi Andante (E♭ major, 78 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	7 minutes.
Dedication:	Nikolai Zverev.
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

No. 18. Scene dansante: Invitation au trépak (Приглашение к трепаку)

Catalogue References:	TH 151 ; ČW 204 (as "Dance Scene (Invitation to Trepak)").
Date:	April 1893.
Key:	C major.
Tempo/Section Listing:	Allegro non tanto (C major, 237 bars).
Instrumentation:	Piano (solo).
Autograph Location:	Moscow: Glinka State Central Museum of Musical Culture.
First Publication:	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1893.
Average Duration:	4 minutes.
Dedication:	Vasilii L'vovich Sapel'nikov (1868–1941).
External Links:	Internet Music Score Library Project (downloadable score).

History

Returning to Klin on 3/15 February 1893 after a long period of absence, Tchaikovsky straight away set to work on composing his Symphony No. 6. At around this time he also assembled materials which were to form the basis for a series of piano pieces.

On 5/17 February the composer told Modest Tchaikovsky: "In the meantime, in order to earn some money, I will compose a few piano pieces and romances" [1]

Tchaikovsky only began to composing these pieces in April, after completing the sketches of his Symphony No. 6 and fulfilling a number of concert engagements, from which he returned on 5/17 April 1893.

It seems likely that early sketches for some of the piano pieces were made somewhat earlier. Inside the cover of one volume from the composer’s complete edition of Mozart scores (preserved in his own library at Klin), themes for ten of the Op. 72 set can be found [2]. It is impossible to ascertain exactly when these sketches were made, but since they are found with sketches for the Symphony in E♭ major, they most probably date from 1892.

On 5/17 April 1893, Tchaikovsky wrote to Il'ia Slatin from Klin: "I have been on holiday in Saint Petersburg with my family, which was very nice. I came back today and began collecting my thoughts to compose a whole series of miniature pieces" [3]. On 11/23 April in a letter to Vladimir Davydov he reported on his progress: "I’ve been performing my duties very punctiliously, and each day a musical offspring is born. However, these offspring are very much premature and insubstantial; I have no inclination whatsoever to work, and do so only for the money. I’m only trying to make sure that they won’t sound too awful" [4].

By 15/27 April, ten pieces had already been written. "In the 10 days since returning from Petersburg, I have decided, for the want of money, to write a few little piano pieces, and have conditioned myself to write at least one a day during this month", Tchaikovsky wrote to Il'ia Slatin on 15/27 April [5]. "I’m continuing to bake my musical pancakes", he wrote on the same day to Vladimir Davydov: "Today the tenth is being prepared. It's remarkable that the further I get, I find the work easier and more enjoyable. At the beginning it went slowly, and the first two or three were merely the result of an effort of will, but now I cannot stop my ideas, which appear to me one after anther, at all hours of the day" [6].

On 21 April/3 May, having written the eighteenth piece, Tchaikovsky completed the series, despite his initial intention of writing thirty: "It seems that I won’t be able to write 30 pieces", he told Modest Tchaikovsky on 22 April/4 May: "In 15 days I’ve written 18 of them, and today I’ve brought them to Moscow" [7]. The pieces were immediately given to Petr Jurgenson for publication.

In a letter to Aleksandr Ziloti of 3/15 May 1893, the composer recounted how he had originally intended that the eighteen pieces should be divided into three sets, one of which would have been dedicated to him [8]. But because Tchaikovsky had promised dedications to so many people. he dedicated only one piece – Scherzo-fantaisie (No. 10) – to Aleksandr Ziloti, but promised to dedicated to him a large-scale orchestral work. On the fair copy of the manuscript some of the pieces are dated, showing the day when they were completed. The first to be written was the Polacca de concert (No. 7) on 10/22 April; then Echo rustique (No. 13)—11/23 April; Scherzo-fantaisie (No. 10) and Valse-bluette (No. 11)—both 12/24 April; Dialogue (No. 8)—13/25 April; Invitation au trepak (No. 18)—16/28 April; Chant élégiaque (No. 14)—17/29 April; Passé lontain (No. 17)—20 April/2 May; Tendres reproches (No. 3)—21 April/3 May. The dates of completion for the other nine pieces were not given.

On the fair copy of the manuscript the name of the person to whom each piece is dedicated appears underneath the title: Impromptu (No. 1) is dedicated to Varvara. Maslova; Berceuse (No. 2) – to Petr Moskalev; Tendres reproches (No. 3) – to Avgust Gerke; Danse caractèristique (No. 4) – to Anatolii Galli; Méditation (No. 5) – to Vasilii Safonov; Mazurque pour danser (No. 6) – to Luiza Jurgenson; Polacca de concert (No. 7) – to Paul Pabst; Dialogue (No. 8) – to Ekaterina Laroche; Un poco di Schumann (No. 9) – to Anna Maslova; Scherzo-fantaisie (No. 10) – to Aleksandr Ziloti; Valse-bluette (No. 11) – to Nadezhda Kondrat'eva; L'espiègle (No. 12) – to Aleksandra Svetlovskaia; Echo rustique (No. 13) – to Alina Briullova; Chant élégiaque (No. 14) – to the memory of Vladimir Sklifosovskii; Un poco di Chopin (No. 15) – to Sergei Remezov; Valse à cinq temps (No. 16) – to Nikolai Lenz; Passé lontain (No. 17) – to Nikolai Zverev; Invitation au trepak (No. 18) – to Vasilii. Sapel’nikov.

Eighteen Pieces

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No. 1. Impromptu (Экспромт)