Nikolai Medtner Works

Nikolai Medtner's Fairy Tale in F minor, Op. 26, No. 3, is a piece from his set of piano pieces Four Fairy Tales (Четыре сказки), composed between 1910 and 1912.

From the AllMusic.com website:

"Nikolay Medtner wrote a number of shorter works he called "skazka," better translated into English as folktale rather than fairy tale, since the Russian stories he had in mind do not always deal with enchanted beings or magic. In fact, most of the 38 works do not refer to a specific story, and he used the title in much the same way "legend" was used by Dvorák. The four skazki in Op. 26 were written around 1912, when Medtner was trying to make a name for himself amongst Moscow's musical leaders. ... No. 3 in F minor has the tempo indication Narrante a piacere, or narrating at pleasure. A single, clear voice throughout the piece briefly turns into a waltz before going back to the story. ... Even if Medtner didn't have magical stories in mind when he composed these, they are enchanting in their own right."

 - by Patsy Morita

Nikolai Medtner (1880 - 1951) was a Russian composer and pianist, now recognized as a significant Russian composer for the piano. A contemporary of Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Scriabin, his works include fourteen piano sonatas, three violin sonatas, three piano concerti, a piano quintet, two works for two pianos, many shorter piano pieces, a few shorter works for violin and piano, and 108 songs including two substantial works for vocalise. His 38 Skazki (generally known as "Fairy Tales" in English but more correctly translated as "Tales") for piano solo contain some of his most original music.

Tutorials

4  Fairy Tales (Skazki) (Четыре сказки), Op. 26 (1910–12)


Medtner Forgotten Melodies Op. 38

No. 8 Alla reminicenza IMSLP edition used is shown in the intro panel