The Variations on a Nursery Tune for piano and orchestra, Op.
It is subtitled "For the enjoyment of friends of humor, to the annoyance of others" (Freunden des Humors zur Freude, den Anderen zum Ärger) on the manuscript, though he omitted this inscription on the concert program and on the published edition, fearing that it might sound somewhat provocative.
[1] Dohnányi alludes to many different works, or composers' distinctive compositional styles, in the piece.
For instance, variation 8 suggests the march from the second movement of Tchaikovsky's "Little Russian" Symphony.
[citation needed] The work made Dohnányi famous, particularly in England, where the audience "seemed to have a real sense of humor", and North America.