Originally published in two series, The Nursey song cycle was written between 1868 and 1872. Made up of seven songs, Mussorgsky wrote both the music and the words. The text is written musically exactly as it would be spoken, which leads to some unexpected melodies, and a fluid rhythm in an irregular time signature. Mussorgsky was one of the first composers to make music from speech patterns in this way. The style of each song is varied, but Mussorgsky’s appreciation for humour is clear. Although written to express the feelings and ideas of a child, the music is not for children, as it is as advanced as any other work from that era, and offers a fresh but haunting insight into domestic life.