Daniil Shafran's Souvenir d'un lieu cher (Tchaikovsky)

In 1877, Tchaikovsky married Antonina Milyukova. Two months later, the marriage turned out to be a disaster. Tchaikovsky fled from Moskow to his best (pen-)friend-slash-patron Madame Meck’s villa at Brailov:

In the end, Antonina refused to sue for divorce, though she did agree to leave Moscow. (The unconsummated, much-regretted marriage endured legally for the rest of Tchaikovsky’s life.) Nonetheless, the weeks alone at Brailov were a welcome respite, and the estate became the titular “dear place” of the Souvenir d’un lieu cher, a suite of three short pieces for violin and piano. (LA Phil about the piece Souvenir d’un lieu cher)

It’s one of those melodic pieces that are overperformed by all ranges of players still takes a lifetime experience to do it right. Here’s Daniil Shafran’s cello-piano version that balances Tchaikovsky’s buring authenticity with elegance, poise and ease: