Souvenir de Florence

The music for Souvenir de Florence, which in parts is reminiscent of Serenade for Strings, is in four movements and is for violins, violas, and cellos. The lively first movement (allegro con spirito) is choreographed for a 24-member corps de ballet and five principal dancers. The slow second movement (adagio cantabile e con moto) is a romantic theme set on three principal couples and is followed by an allegretto third movement and an allegro vivace fourth which presents the full ensemble of dancers. Souvenir de Florence (Recollection of Florence) was composed in Russia during the summer of 1890, after Tschaikovsky had returned from Italy (where he had written the opera The Queen of Spades). The piece was composed for his patroness, Nadejda von Meck, who was fond of chamber music.