Souvenir de Florence: String Orchestra Conductor Score

$70.00 USD

Souvenir de Florence: String Orchestra Conductor Score

Name: Souvenir de Florence: String Orchestra Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-A927101
Price: 70.00 USD
Availability: InStock

for String Orchestra

By Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky / arr. Tom Myron

Item: 36-A927101

$70.00

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The String Sextet in D minor, Op. 70, is scored for 2 violins, 2 violas, and 2 cellos, was composed in the summer of 1890. 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 also composed The Queen of Spades. The work was revised between December 1891 and January 1892, before being premiered in 1892. It is the only string sextet he composed. This version of Souvenir de Florence is presented with the addition of a Contrabass part by American composer/arranger Tom Myron. The first movement is in sonata form and, without introduction, presents a rather violent yet melodic first theme in D minor. The second theme, in the dominant key of A major, is much calmer; it flows from the first theme almost effortlessly and then proceeds into the development and recapitulation, which concludes with a quick coda. The slow second movement in D major has a very innocent, romantic theme initially stated by the first violin with pizzicato accompaniment before being taken up by the cello. Following an interlude for all of the instruments, the theme returns for a repeat of the first section. The last two movements, with their distinctly Russian and folk-like melodies and rhythms, greatly contrast with the previous ones.

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Series: Kalmus Masterworks Library

Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.

ISBN10: 1-63-887069-1

ISBN13: 978-1-63-887069-2

UPC: 753625314297

SKU: 36-A927101

Instrumentation: String Orchestra

More about this title

About the Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky shaped the sound of Russian music while maintaining deep connections to Western European forms and traditions. His gift for sweeping melody, coupled with an unflinching willingness to explore darker emotional territory, made him one of the nineteenth century's most performed composers.

As a pedagogue, Tchaikovsky founded the Moscow Conservatory and mentored the next generation of Russian composers. His chamber works, though less frequently heard than his ballets and symphonies, reveal the same craftsmanship and emotional honesty that defined his larger works.

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Why we love this

This sextet showcases Tchaikovsky at his most elegant and structurally confident. The addition of a contrabass part by Tom Myron transforms the piece into an accessible string orchestra work without compromising the intimacy that makes the original special, making it viable for school ensembles while preserving the work's sophisticated four-movement architecture.

What to expect

The piece moves between turbulent passion and tender lyricism, grounded in Russian soil yet shaped by international ambition. You'll hear Tchaikovsky's gift for melody everywhere; even moments of formal development sing rather than merely discuss.

Who it's for

Advanced string orchestras, regional youth orchestras, and chamber ensembles ready to tackle a masterwork with substantial musical and technical demands. This is repertoire for groups that have the depth across all sections to sustain four movements of focused, expressive playing.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the violent first theme in D minor against the calmer A major second theme by adjusting bow weight rather than tempo. The contrast is emotional, not rhythmic.
In the D major slow movement, ensure the pizzicato accompaniment remains truly pizzicato rather than slipping into a percussive tone. This delicate texture supports the innocence of the opening.
Approach the Russian folk character of the final two movements as stylistically distinct from the Western European formality of the first movement. This shift is intentional and should feel like a departure.
Let the contrabass part anchor the harmonic foundation without dominating; the added voice should enhance clarity without overwhelming the string writing Tchaikovsky originally conceived.

How to use it

This works as a concert centerpiece for an ensemble demonstrating maturity and range. Pair it with a shorter, more contemporary work to create programming contrast, or use it as the anchor of a Russian-focused concert that includes orchestral excerpts or other chamber works by Tchaikovsky's contemporaries.

Skills your students will build

Reading and executing sustained lyrical passages with consistent vibrato and tone quality
Balancing independent melodic lines in a six-part texture with added contrabass
Executing rapid scalar figuration and dramatic dynamic shifts within the sonata form first movement
Playing pizzicato accompaniment figures with rhythmic precision and controlled tone
Responding to stylistic shifts between European classical forms and Russian folk idioms across four movements