Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) / Arr. Lucas Drew

THE STORY

     The French word “souvenir” means something different than our English word; rather than a physical token from a trip, the French meaning is closer to “memory.” Perhaps Souvenir de Florence began as Tchaikovsky’s effort to hold on to his memories of Florence. He adored Italy, happy in the warm sun—and while he was in Florence, he sketched what would become one of the principal themes of this string sextet. These concerts feature an arrangement for string orchestra by Lucas Drew.
     First sketched as a duet for violin and cello, Tchaikovsky found it exceedingly difficult to expand the work for the unusual instrumentation of two violins, two violas, two cellos. The sextet also presents challenges for the performers, each required to play with the boldness of a soloist and capture the intensity and vigor that pulses through much of the work. 
     Tchaikovsky wrote Souvenir de Florence for the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society, which had awarded him honorary membership. It was performed first in a private concert in his home and Tchaikovsky, always his worst critic, said that it “turned out to be astonishingly bad in all respects.” After making significant revisions, he changed his tune: “It’s frightening to see how pleased I am with myself,” he wrote.

LISTEN FOR

• The stormy opening D-minor theme, with the lower strings seeming to toss the violins about 

• The second movement’s contrasting tranquility, like the calm after the storm; the docile theme is underpinned by pizzicato accompaniment

• A folk-like melody sung by the first violin and then intensified by the rest of the ensemble in the Allegro moderato

• The mood swings between the different sections of the finale, seeming to reflect Tchaikovsky’s own ever-changing temperament

INSTRUMENTATION

Strings