In 1878, while in Switzerland, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) wrote the first part of his op. 42 cycle, Souvenir d’un lieu cher (Memory of a dear place). The three movements, Méditation, Scherzo, and Mélodie were published in 1842 and the ‘dear place,’ 

The pieces were original written for violin and piano, the only time Tchaikovsky wrote for that instrumental combination. In 1896, three years after the death of Tchaikovsky, the work was orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov and most of its subsequent fame comes from the orchestral version. Later the cello version was published.

The Mélodie, the third part of Souvenir d’un lieu cher, carries us to the romantic Tchaikovsky, the master of melody. The movement originally had the title of Chant sans paroles (Song without words) and we can hear the song-like qualities of the work.