Eighteen Pieces, Op. 72

• In 1893, Tchaikovsky wrote his collection of Eighteen Pieces for Piano, Op. 72. This collection was Tchaikovsky’s last work for solo piano.
• Based on letters to acquaintances at the time of composition, Tchaikovsky wrote these piano miniatures to make some extra income as he was working on his sixth symphony.¹
• Each piece within Op. 72 is dedicated to a different individual, a friend or colleague of the composer. You can view the full list of dedicatees here.

Eighteen Pieces:

1. Impromptu
2. Berceuse (Cradle song)
3. Tendres reproches (Tender reproaches)
4. Danse caractéristique (Charater dance)
5. Méditation
6. Mazurque pour danser (Mazurka for dancing)
7. Polacca de concert (Concert Polonaise)
8. Dialogue
9. Un poco di Schumann (A bit of Schumann)
10. Scherzo-fantaisie
11. Valse-bluette (Waltz bagatelle)
12. L’espiègle (Prankish girl)
13. Echo rustique (Rustic echo)
14. Chant élégiaque (Elegiac song)
15. Un poco di Chopin (A bit of Chopin)
16. Valse à cinq temps (Quintuple Waltz)
17. Passé lointain (Distant past)
18. Scene dansante: Invitation au trépak (Dance Scene: Invitation to Trepak) 

1. Tchaikovsky Research contributors, “Eighteen Pieces, Op. 72,” Tchaikovsky Research (2023), accessed September 30, 2025, https://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/index.php?title=Eighteen_Pieces,_Op._72&oldid=63587.