- Medtner’s Skazki (Fairy Tales) are among the composer’s best-known works. He wrote 11 sets of Skazki over several decades, Op. 26 being among them. They are short, programmatic pieces for piano that reference a wide variety of imagery from literature and folklore.
- Skazki, Op. 26 is a set of four “tales” written between 1910-12:
- No. 1 Allegro frescamente
- No. 2 Molto vivace
- No. 3 Narrante a piacere
- No. 4 Sostenuto1
- The four Skazki of Op. 26 don’t illustrate any specific story or character. Rather, they are picturesque mood pieces, allowing the listener to use their imagination and fill in the enchanted story.2
Sources
- “4 Tales, Op.26 (Medtner, Nikolay),” IMSLP, accessed September 16, 2024, https://imslp.org/wiki/4_Tales%2C_Op.26_(Medtner%2C_Nikolay).
- Hamish Milne, Notes in accompanying booklet, The Complete Skazki performed by Hamish Milne, Hyperion 67491, 2007, compact disc.
Cut IDs
22669