Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

Of the finale to his fourth symphony, Tchaikovsky said that there is still happiness: simple, naive happiness. “Deriving happiness from others allows one to live longer.” This idea is also reflected in the effervescent and exhilarated music. But the symphony is also about his feelings after his brief, catastrophic marriage. The introductory theme which recurs several times in the symphony is the core – an obliterating force that stands in the way...