Tchaikovsky's Six Romances (Шесть романсов), Op. 6 (TH 93 ; ČW 211-216), were written in Moscow in November 1869. They are scored for high voice (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5), medium voice (No. 6) or baritone (No. 4), with piano accompaniment.

🇷🇺 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
6 Romances, Op. 6 (1869)

Until mid/late November 1869, Tchaikovsky was occupied with composition of the overture Romeo and Juliet, amongst his other works. On 18/30 November 1869, in a letter to Modest Tchaikovsky, he expressed his dismay about the delay in staging of his opera Undina, writing: "While my music is being held up, I've started to write some songs to earn a little money". However, the next week he joked to Ivan Klimenko: "...had dear Dorimedontova not burst in, like some malevolent spirit fulfilling a curse, then one-sixth (of my six romances) would have been completed". In early/mid-December the composer wrote: '"My idleness (about which I wrote to you in a previous letter) did not last long, and lasted only a short time and last week I wrote six romances, which are going to be printed".

Some years later Tchaikovsky referred to Nos. 6 and 3 from this opus in his letters: "You know that out of all my romances only two are popular: None but the Lonely Heart and Bitterly and Sweetly."

00:00 Do Not Believe, My Friend: Moderato assai (C# minor)
04:17 Not a Word, O My Friend: Andante ma non troppo (E minor)
08:15 Bitterly and Sweetly: Allegro vivo (A major)
11:20 A Tear Trembles: Moderato assai (G♭ major)
15:01 Why?: Moderato (D major)
18:45 None but the Lonely Heart: Andante non tanto (D♭ major)

Performers:
Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5
Ljuba Kazarnovskaya, soprano

Nos. 4, 6
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, baritone
Oleg Boshniakovich, piano (No. 4)
Ivari Ilja, piano (No. 6)

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