Written in 1857 and 1858, these two stories are a tribute to Tolstoy's passion for music and are inspired by episodes from his life. In "Lucerne" he offers evocative descriptions of the city by the lake and recreates in first person the conflicts of his protagonist, Prince Nekhludov, who is briefly taken out of his sadness by a charming melody and restored to his pure love of life: What more is needed? Everything is yours, everything is good..." In "Albert" he elaborates the story of a very talented violinist whom he actually had the opportunity to listen to in Saint Petersburg and whose miserable fate moved him deeply, judging by an entry in his diaries where he referred to him as a "genius maniac." Two stories in which the great Russian writer's prodigious talent for observation and detail shines.