Capriccio Italien

Composed between January and May 1880, it premiered on 18 December that year (New System) in Moscow with Nikolay Rubinstein conducting the Orchestra of the Imperial Russian Musical Society.

[3] Capriccio italien was inspired by a trip Tchaikovsky took to Rome with his brother Modest as respite from the composer's disastrous marriage with Antonina Miliukova.

"[4] And from Rome he wrote to his friend Nadezhda von Meck: I have already completed the sketches for an Italian fantasia on folk tunes for which I believe a good fortune may be predicted.

[3] One of the main themes is another Italian folk song, precisely from Tuscany, Bella ragazza dalle trecce bionde.

The brothers were there during Carnival, and, despite calling it "a folly," the composer was able to soak up Italian street music and folk songs which he then incorporated into his Capriccio.