Souvenir de Florence in D Major

In 1886 Tchaikovsky was elected an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society, and promised to write a work for its concerts. The piece finally came to fruition in 1890 after a stay in Florence. Cast in four movements lasting 35 minutes, the Souvenir de Florence is a string sextet scored for two violins, two violas and two cellos. The opening movement mixes a relatively agitated mood with shards of brighter material, although it’s only in the sweet-toned serenade of the slow movement that the warmth of Tchaikovsky’s Florentine memories emerges fully. In the third movement, the viola intones a Russian folk melody, which the other instruments embrace enthusiastically. The finale is also strongly Slavonic in character, its spiky dance rhythms generating an irresistible momentum. Though originally conceived for six players, the Souvenir de Florence is often played by full string orchestras, further broadening its popularity.