He is considered the first Russian composer to achieve international recognition. Like many Russian composers of his time, he was of noble birth and engaged with music as, so to speak, a dilettante. He traveled to Italy and Berlin several times, where he sought to integrate elements of Russian music with the harmony he encountered there. His trials and errors can be considered largely successful, as later Russian music forged new paths, taking Glinka as a model. This work was composed in 1839, when Glinka was 35 years old, during his mature period. It is dedicated to Glinka's sister, Elizaveta Ivanovna Glinka.

Written in 6/8 time, this work is marked comodo at the beginning. It begins with an 8-bar introduction. The music is primarily carried by two parts, which can be divided between the left and right hands, though variations such as the division of each part into two voices are seen in places.