The composer first mentioned these two pieces in a telegram sent to Glazunov in July 1907. At that time, being in New York, he telegraphed, "I will send six pieces, please send 600 rubles." These "six pieces" referred to Four Pieces, Op. 56, and the present work. However, this promise was not fulfilled, perhaps because the works were incomplete or due to his busy schedule. The "six pieces" reappeared in a letter from Lausanne to Belyayev Publishers in December 1907, stating, "I will send six piano pieces by February." This latter promise was kept, and the "six pieces" were published as Opp. 56 and 57 in the same year. Scriabin seemed to favor these works, often performing them in recitals.

No. 1: Désir

This piece is divided into two sections: measures 1-5 and measures 6-13, with the opening melody of the latter being a transposition of the former up a perfect fifth. The ascending melody, which is repeated from the beginning and seems hesitant and fragmented, along with the pianissimo indication, dominates the entire piece.

The sense of tonality gradually diminishes in Scriabin's works until the completion of the so-called "Mystic Chord" in Prometheus in 1910. The two pieces of Op. 57 are also part of this trend; although tonality exists, it is skillfully diluted by non-harmonic added notes. For example, in this piece, C-E-G, a C major triad, frequently appears in the middle section, and a C major perfect cadence (G-C) is formed in the lowest voice at the conclusion. However, Scriabin intersperses non-harmonic notes such as F# and E♭, thereby blurring the tonal sound.

No. 2: Caresse dansée

It can be interpreted as a ternary form where the recapitulation transforms into a short coda. While ascending melodies dominated in "Désir," descending melodies and chromatically descending harmonies are predominant in the main section of this piece. As the title "Caresse dansée" (Dancing Caress) suggests, a clear triple meter rhythmic feel is maintained in both the main and middle sections. The sense of tonality is clearer than in the previous piece, with distinct C major cadences appearing in measures 15-16 and at the end.

According to the critical report of the critical edition recently published by Muzyka and Jurgenson, a work titled Caresse dansée existed as an orchestral piece in Scriabin's work list at Belyayev Publishers as early as the beginning of 1906. Furthermore, other circumstantial evidence suggests that this orchestral piece might be an orchestral version of the second piece of Op. 57. If this is correct, then the clearer sense of tonality in this piece compared to "Désir" would stem from its earlier period of composition.