Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky
Two Pieces
Op. 1

About Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky's Two Pieces

The Scherzo à la Russe Op. 1/1 is based on a folk tune that Tchaikovsky himself had recorded while vacationing on a Ukrainian estate (however, no one has been able to pinpoint the original song). But the intention here is not to imitate folk music – the little folk tune evolves into a work full of flamboyance and wit, finishing with a glorious virtuosic coda. The piece was premiered by Nikolai Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky’s mentor and friend, and a virtuoso pianist like his older brother Anton.

The Impromptu Op. 1/2 was only paired with the Scherzo by accident. The publisher Jurgenson discovered it written next to the Scherzo in Tchaikovsky’s manuscript and saw no problem in printing both. Tchaikovsky regarded the Impromptu as a student piece and was not at all pleased, but discovered the mistake too late.