Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony

Ever subtle, ever ambivalent, Tchaikovsky juggles joy and tragedy in his Fourth Symphony, led here by guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk. Tchaikovsky’s so-called “Fate” motif reminds us that we cannot live in the beautiful world of our dreams. “This is fate,” he explained, “that fatal force which hangs above your head like the sword of Damocles, and unwaveringly, constantly poisons the soul.” If fate is the soul’s poison, the Fourth’s shining finale is the antidote. Rarely programmed but undeniably compelling, Jacques Ibert’s Flute Concerto is [...]