Étude pour pianola

As Stravinsky was finishing Les Noces, he traveled to Madrid and became inspired by Spanish music for future compositions. This étude was commissioned by Aeolian Company, as a demonstration piece for their new sensible-to-dynamic-shadings player piano. Stravinsky finished it in 1917. However, it became much more popular later in 1928, when he orchestrated this piece together with the Three Pieces for String Quartet. The étude was retitled "Madrid", and the orchestration of all four pieces, titled Quatre études pour orchestre, was premiered in 1930.