Fate – Tchaikovsky's Fifth

The theme of "man and fate" has fascinated many composers. Beethoven, for example, in his music for Goethe's drama "Egmont", in which a hero tries to win freedom for his country but tragically fails. In his fifth symphony, Tchaikovsky illuminates the tragedy of his emotional distress: a dark, whispering motif runs through the work, which the composer sees as an expression of "complete submission to fate". In between is a pearl of romantic concert...