Serenade in C, Op. 48, & Suite No. 4, Op. 61

One of the composer's favorite works, Tchaikovsky's charming "Serenade in C" has enjoyed worldwide popularity among conductors, performers, and music lovers since its premiere in St. Petersburg in October 1881. Written in mid-1880, just a few months after completion of his "Capriccio Italian" and almost simultaneously with the composition of the "1812 Overture, " the "Serenade" reflects a world quite apart from those two fiery pieces: ."..Tchaikovsky's equivalent of an 18th-century divertimento" (Grove).