I should be sorry if symphonies that mean nothing should flow from my pen, consisting only of a progression of harmonies, rhythms, and modulations,” Piotr Tchaikovsky wrote in 1878, shortly after he finished composing his Fourth Symphony. “Most assuredly, my symphony has a program, but one that cannot be expressed in words .... Shouldn’t a symphony reveal those wordless urges that hide in the heart, asking earnestly for expression?”

This popular composition reflects the difficult, emotional, and transitional times that Tchaikovsky faced while trapped in a loveless marriage during this dynamic period in his life. It is comprised of a colorful array of movements that span a wide range of dispositions.

The symphony presents a few great opportunities for string players, including a dreamy waltz in the opening movement, a moody cello section in the second movement, and an extended and lively pizzicato dance in the third movement.

The first movement sets up the overall theme for the symphony, which leans heavily on the notions of fate and destiny, things over which Tchaikovsky felt he had little control. When he started composing his Fourth Symphony in 1877, a woman, Antonina Milyukova, had developed a major crush on the composer, and even vowed to take her life should they not meet. Terrified at such consequences, Tchaikovsky agreed to a date, and despite resistance on his part, they were married soon after, regardless of Tchaikovsky’s uncertainty that he’d found true love.

“Fate, the inevitable force which halts our aspirations towards happiness,” Tchaikovsky lamented, as he pondered the situation. That sentiment is presented here, first by the French horns, then the trumpets and trombones in the opening statement of the symphony’s dominating theme. After a waltz-like melody of a darker, more solitary character, the music takes a turn into a dream world, where the harsh reality and consequences of fate are forgotten, momentarily, and happiness prevails.