First comes a Nocturne in F major, given what was becoming one of Tchaikovsky's favorite designations, Andante cantabile. For a "singing" piece, it's quite florid, an indulgence that allows a cadenza-like transition into a section of gurgling chords; this latter material returns briefly just before the quiet conclusion. The second piece has become well-known in orchestral treatments; Leopold Stokowski made a fairly straightforward transcription, and Igor Stravinsky incorporated it into the ballet The Fairy's Kiss. It's a jaunty G-major Humoresque in 2/4 time, a very Russian-sounding scherzo in its outer sections; the central portion, though, is a florid treatment of a French folk song Tchaikovsky apparently collected during a visit to Nice.



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