Tchaikovsky
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TH 133

Six Pieces

Шесть пьес

For piano solo, Op. 19 (1873).

1. Rêverie du soir
   Вчерние греэы (G minor).
   • Dedicated to Nikolai Kondratev.
2. Scherzo humoristique
   Юмористическое скерцо (D major).
   • Dedicated to Vera Timanova.
3. Feuillet d'album
   Листок из альбом (D major).
   • Dedicated to Anna Avramova.
4. Nocturne
   Ноктюрн (C♯ minor).
   • Dedicated to Monika Terminskaia.
5. Capriccioso
   Каприччиозо (B♭ major).

   • Dedicated to Eduard Langer.

6. Thème original et variations
   Тема и вариации (F major).
   • Dedicated to Herman Laroche.

• Composed September–October 1873.
• Scored for Piano solo (2 hands).
• Average duration: 30m.
• The Nocturne (No. 4) was arranged for cello with orchestra by Tchaikovsky in 1888.

History

Composed at the request of Petr Jurgenson [1], and completed 27 October/8 November 1873 in Moscow (according to the date on manuscript).

Rough sketches for two of the pieces—Nocturne (No. 4) and Capriccioso (No. 5)—are found in the same copybook as sketches for the opera Vakula the Smith (1874), the String Quartet No. 2 (1874), and the Six Pieces on a Single Theme, Op. 21 (autumn 1873). It is possible that some of the Op. 19 pieces were written during the summer of 1873 at Kamenka. In his diary entry for 11/23 July 1873 [2], Tchaikovsky noted down themes for a projected Symphony in B♭ major, which Tchaikovsky used in the Capriccioso (No. 5).

Some time later (around 1888), Tchaikovsky made an arrangement for cello with small orchestra of the Nocturne (No. 4) for Anatolii Brandukov, from a transcription for Wilhelm Fitzenhagen [3].

Each piece is dedicated to a different person: Evening Reverie (No. 1)—to Nikolai Kondratev; Scherzo humoristique (No. 2)—to Vera Timanova; Album Leaf (No. 3)— to Anna Avramova; Nocturne (No. 4)—to Monika Terminskaia; Capriccioso (No. 5)—to Eduard Langer; Thème original et variations (No. 6)—to Herman Laroche.

The piece Rêverie du soir was performed for the first time by Nikolai Rubinstein in the presence of the author on 22 February/6 March 1874, and the Thème original et variations by Hans von Bülow in early/mid April 1874 [4].

Published by Petr Jurgenson in January 1874 as separate numbers, and in May 1874 as a single volume.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 398–399
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

References:

1. See letter 326 to Vasilii Bessel, 28 November/10 December 1873 [back]
2. Дневники П. И. Чайковского (Moscow, 1923), p. 3 [back]
3. The autograph was discovered in Anatolii Brandukov's archives after his death, and transferred to the Klin House-Museum Archive. In the autograph the cello part is written in Brandukov’s hand [back]
4. See M. von Bülow, Hans von Bülows Leben. dargestellt aus seinen Breifen. 2. Aufl. (Leipzig. 1921), p. 271 (letter from Kharkov to Louise von Weltz) [back]