This little lyrical and sumptuous gem is based on the piano piece of the same name in C sharp minor, No. 4 of Six Pieces Op. 19. The arrangement was probably written in Paris in 1888 for his friend, the Russian cellist Anatoly Brandukov.

The current edition is based on the edition from the volume of the old Tchaikovsky Complete Edition published by Victor L. Kubacky (1891-1970), a pupil of Brandukov.