Tchaikovsky: 2 Pieces Op. 10

Tchaikovsky's Two Pieces for solo piano, Opus 10, was composed in 1871–72. A complete performance lasts about 7 minutes. The two pieces are:

1. Nocturne (Andante cantabile, F major, 81 bars)

2. Humoresque (Allegretto scherzando, G major, 134 bars)

The Humoresque was influenced by a popular French song called La fille aux oranges, and in France was among Tchaikovsky's most performed piano pieces before 1900. In 1876, Tchaikovsky arranged the Humoresque for violin with piano.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) was a great Russian composer whose music is characterized by its magnificent melodies and sweeping orchestration. He wrote some of the most popular music in the classical repertoire, including the 1812 Overture, the first piano concerto, the violin concerto, the symphonies, the opera Eugene Onegin, and the ballets Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker.