Tchaikovsky's Souvenir De Florence was commissioned by the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society in 1887, but the work was not finished until 1892 due to Tchaikovsky turning his attention to his opera Queen of Spades.It has been observed that the final movement, in particular, is orchestrally conceived, rather than in the style of chamber music. The work is, fittingly, often performed by string orchestras, and many believe it to actually moreeffective in that format. This is the original setting of the piece, for String Sextet - 2 Violins, 2 Violas and 2 Cellos.