In the repertoire of Russian Romantic music, The Snow Maiden is best known as an 1881 opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. Tchaikovsky would likely have converted this semi-operatic score into an opera himself had Rimsky not done so. Had Tchaikovsky written the opera—as his brother Modest said he intended—he most probably would have strengthened this score.

Tchaikovsky composed a large quantity of music to accompany Ostrovsky's play, The Snow Maiden, and much of it is vocal and choral, containing songs for Lel the Shepherd, and one for the peasant Brusilo, a monologue for Frost and a fair number of choruses. There are 19 numbers in all—orchestral, vocal and choral—five for the Prologue, which incorporated the introductory music to the early, un-produced opera Undine. That reuse was not particularly successful, its music lacking personality. Still, there is much worthwhile in the rest of the score, including the shivering birds' chorus, chorus of flowers, the carnival's choral music, and Lel's forest murmurs song.

While the dance of the clowns is rather bombastic, most of the other dance music is attractive. Tchaikovsky incorporates folk melody throughout much of the score and his colorful use of it is generally effective. In the end, though, The Snow Maiden is at best an uneven effort, but one that still probably deserves greater attention.

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