The December 1875 edition of Nuvellist announced, "Our celebrated composer P. I. Tchaikovsky has promised the editor of Nuvellist, that he will contribute to next year's issues a whole series of his piano compositions, specially written for our journal, the character of which will correspond entirely to the titles of the pieces, and the month in which they will be published in the journal..." And so P.I. Tchaikovsky did.
This bit of commissioned work was greatly welcomed by our composer, it wouldn't be until his hectic 1877 that he would meet his most important supporter and patron, Nadezhda von Meck.