Tchaikovsky
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TH 132

Two Pieces

Две пьесы

For piano solo, Op. 10 (1871–72).

1. Nocturne
   Ноктюрн (F major).
2. Humoresque
   Юмореска (G major).

• Composed December 1871—January 1872.
• Scored for Piano solo (2 hands).
• Dedicated to Vladimir Shilovskii.
• Average duration: 7m 30s (set).
• The Humoresque was arranged for violin with piano by Tchaikovsky, 1876.

History

Composed, according to Modest Tchaikovsky, in the second half of December 1871 or in January 1872, during the three weeks that Tchaikovsky spent in Nice. The theme of the middle section of the Humoresque (No. 2) is based on a folk song which Tchaikovsky heard in Nice [1].

Much later (in 1876) the author arranged the Humoresque for violin with piano.

Both pieces are dedicated to Tchaikovsky's friend Vladimir Shilovskii.

At first Petr Jurgenson issued each piece separately (in 1874 and 1875), but in February 1876 both pieces were published together. The arrangement of the Humoresque for violin with piano was printed in April 1877, at the same time as an arrangement of the Andante funebre from the String Quartet No. 3.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 397–398
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

References:

1. M. I. Tchaikovsky, Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 1 (1900), p. 381 [back]