Tchaikovsky: Twist of Fate

Leif Bjaland, conductor
Saturday, October 9, 2010 (JTG1)

See the Story. Hear the Music.

See the story that led to one of the greatest works of art in classical music. Follow Tchaikovsky’s journey to genius, as his life and times influence the creation of his Fourth Symphony. This multi-media concert incorporates narration, images and musical excerpts culminating in a stirring performance of his masterpiece.

One of the world’s most popular composers, Tchaikovsky wrestled with deep emotional insecurities. His tragic life and bouts with depression provide important insight into his music and especially his emotional, yet triumphant Fourth Symphony. Discover how this epic Symphony hinges on the role fate plays in attaining happiness, and then hear the symphony with new perspective.

Petr Il'ich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Tchaikovsky was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk. Musically precocious, he began piano lessons at the age of five. He went on to study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory from 1861 to 1865. In 1866, he was appointed professor of theory and harmony at the Moscow Conservatory, established that year. He held the post until approximately 1878.

Many reports of Tchaikovsky's personal life indicate that it was turbulent and marred by bouts of depression and even thoughts of suicide. It appears that he found his only solace in his "musical off-spring".

As he composed his Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky wrote to his patroness, Nadezhda von Meck, telling her that he wanted "very much" to dedicate it to her with the caption, "Dedicated to My Best Friend". He began work on the symphony not long after von Meck entered his life. He completed the composition in the aftermath of his catastrophic marriage and he claimed that von Meck would find in it "an echo of your most intimate thoughts and emotions." The paternalistic nature of Russian society heavily influenced the relationship between patron and artist in that they were considered equals. In his dedication of the Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky was affirming von Meck as an equal partner in its creation.

Assertions to the effect that "the first movement represents Fate" are oversimplifications: according to a letter the composer wrote to von Meck in 1878, it is actually the fanfare first heard at the opening that stands for "Fate", with this being "the fatal power which prevents one from attaining the goal of happiness.” There is nothing to be done but to submit to it and lament in vain." As the composer explained it, the program of the first movement is—"roughly"—that "all life is an unbroken alternation of hard reality with swiftly passing dreams and visions of happiness." He went on: "No haven exists... Drift upon that sea until it engulfs and submerges you in its depths.”