Children’s album Op. 39

Children’s album Op. 39 

It was written in 1878 and dedicated to six-year old Volodya Davydov, the composers nephew. The album consists of 24 light piano miniatures with “attractive headings for children”. In the first edition the music pieces were accompanied by pictures. The sequence of plays depicts the episodes of child’s life. Here it wakes up surrounded by his relatives (Morning player, Winter morning, Mama), plays and enjoys himself (Playing hobby-horses, March of the wooden soldiers), dances and sings (Waltz, Mazurka, Polka, Russian song, Kamarinskaya), gets and looses presents (The sick doll, The doll’s funeral, The new doll), in its dreams travels to faraway countries (Italian song, Neapolitan song, Old french song, German song), where it meets unusual characters (The accordion player, The organ-grinder sings). The kid's day, rich in events, comes to the end, it is laid into bed and is told a fairy tale (Nanny`s story, Baba-Yaga) and, being tired but happy, travels to the magic world of dreams (Sweet Dreams, In church).