Tchaikovsky
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TH 144

Impromptu-Caprice

Экспромт-каприс

G major (1884).

• Composed September 1884.
• Scored for Piano solo (2 hands).
• Dedicated to Sof'ia Jurgenson.
• Average duration: 2m 30s.

History

Composed in September 1884 at Pleshcheevo. Tchaikovsky wrote about the origins of the Impromptu-caprice to Nadezhda von Meck: "I received from the editor of the Paris newspaper Gaulois a request to contribute to the publication of an album in aid of poor musicians. To refuse would have been awkward, and I spent the whole of today on composing a piece for this album" [1]. In another letter to her of 9 September 1886 he described the Impromptu-caprice and his other piano piece Dumka, composed in February 1886, as "trifles, written for special occasions" [2], and in his own words, not meriting serious consideration.

The Impromptu-caprice was published in the musical album of the Parisian journal Gaulois in 1885. The title of the album was "A ses abonnes - le Gaulois ", and a copy is preserved in the composer’s personal library at Klin.

In Russian editions by Petr Jurgenson (issued in August 1886) the piece is dedicated to the publisher's wife, Sof'ia Jurgenson.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 411-413
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

Notes:

1. Letter 2549 to Nadezhda von Meck, 13/25-18/30 September 1884 [back]
2. Letter 3042 to Nadezhda von Meck, 9/21 September 1886 [back]

See also:

• Impromptu-Caprice page on the Internet Music Score Library Project (external site)

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