Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Souvenir de Florence

The String Sextet in D minor “Souvenir de Florence“, Op. 70, is a string sextet scored for 2 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos composed in the European summer of 1890 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky dedicated the work to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society in response to his becoming an Honorary Member. The work, in the traditional four-movement form, was titled “Souvenir de Florence“ because the composer sketched one of the work’s principal themes while visiting Florence, Italy, where he composed The Queen of Spades. The work was revised between December 1891 and January 1892, before being premiered in 1892. 1. Allegro con spirito (00:00) 2. Adagio cantabile e con moto (10:16) 3. Allegretto moderato (19:56) 4. Allegro con brio e vivace (26:11)