The Premiére Elégie was written in 1874 in memory of a friend, Countess Marie Moukhanoff-Kalergis. It was originally for an extraordinary instrumental combination: cello, piano, harp and harmonium, although versions also exist for cello and piano, violin and piano, and solo piano. It is a work of calm melancholy, slow and dignified, although it conveys a strange feeling of unrest. It opens with a descending phrase, which then starts an ascending motion of increased emotional intensity. It builds up to a passionate climax in the middle section. Then it turns to a lament. It ends in a delicate, wistful atmosphere. Effective as the solo piano version, comparison with the original shows that the material was not conceived for solo piano.

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