The sextet version of Tchaikovsky’s celebratory gift to the Chamber Music Society of St Petersburg, where he just joined. Souvenir de Florence was started in the Italian city, where Tchaikovsky resided at the time. This is a cheerful and energetic work, and it always makes me happy to hear it. It is also used as one of the signatory tunes of a weekly TV show about classical music I like to watch (Podium Klassiek).
Most recordings of this work are performing the later arranged orchestral version, but here we are presented with the sextet version: 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos. Less instruments in my opinion usually leads to a more open sound, and this is no exception. Even the superb orchestral version of the Amsterdam Sinfonietta doesn’t get this good.
Interestingly, my record doesn’t mention the extra viola player: Genrikh Talayan. I can find that name only on the later editions. All I can find out about him is that he played in this piece, twice. And that he lived for just 50 years, until 1972.