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. 1 in E flat major, marked Allegro frescamente with a Giocoso central section, has a happy, almost pastoral melody set against a rolling accompaniment. The left hand plays constant triplets while the right plays above, somewhat like a Mendelssohn song without words. No. 2 is also in E flat major, but this time it's a bouncy game of tag where the right hand scurries around and the left hand leaps to catch it. 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. The final skazka is a longer, more complex piece. Whereas in the first three there were no more than two different moods expressed, this one is more like Medtner's sonata movements where themes and motives are used in a variety of ways to convey contrasting moods. Here, one measure contains both scherzando and tranquillo markings, while a little further on there are the markings risolute, poco giocoso, and disinvolto in successive measures. The melody switches between hands and the texture of the accompaniment changes to further transform melodic motives. The overall effect is a story that starts quietly and calmly and eventually ends exultantly. Even if Medtner didn't have magical stories in mind when he composed these, they are enchanting in their own right.

© Patsy Morita, Rovi