Tchaikovsky: Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42 No.3 Mélodie for Violin & Piano | Eimi Wakui

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Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)’s Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op.42, was composed in 1878 as a set of three pieces for violin and piano. The third piece, “Mélodie,” is one of Tchaikovsky’s most beloved lyrical miniatures.

The French title Souvenir d’un lieu cher means “Memory of a Dear Place.” The “dear place” refers to Brailov, the country estate of Nadezhda von Meck, who was an important patron and supporter of Tchaikovsky. He stayed there in May 1878, completed this work during his stay, and later dedicated the work to “Brailov.”

“Mélodie” is written in E-flat major, a key with a warm and gentle character, yet one that seems to carry a subtle shadow.

Rather than expressing happiness in the present, the music seems to look back on a happiness that has already passed:
“Those were beautiful days. I cannot return to them, but they remain in my heart.” Perhaps this is the kind of happiness that lives within this music. It is the memory of something dear that makes the heart ache.

Listening to the piece can feel almost like looking at an old photograph—something beautiful and familiar, yet belonging to a time that can never quite be recovered. Within its melody are not only sadness, but also warmth, affection, peace, and a quiet sense of solitude.

The beautiful, song-like melody of the Western Romantic tradition is intertwined with Tchaikovsky’s characteristic sensitivity and delicate harmonic language, creating an intimate musical portrait of a cherished memory.
In this performance, I tried to let the violin melody float above and unfold through the harmonic flow created by the piano, rather than treating it simply as a beautiful melody. I approached the piece as if I were quietly singing a distant memory once again.

I hope you will listen while allowing your own “dear place” or “time that cannot return” to come to mind, and simply let yourself be carried away by the music.

🎹 Piano: Yumi Kakami


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