Premiered in 1878, Tchaikovsky’s 4th symphony is an exciting battle between the individual and Fate. Written in gratitude to the composer’s “best friend,” the symphony is dedicated to Tchaikovsky’s patron, Nadezhda von Meck. Meck was an extremely wealthy Russian widow, and was a huge fan of Tchaikovsky’s music. It was owing to this fact that the composer received a sizable stipend through 1877, allowing him to pursue composition fully. The relationship had a rather strange air about it, however, as while Meck was an admirer of Tchaikovsky’s works, her donation to the composer came with the stipulation that they must never meet in person, their relationship remaining solely epistolary (Dotsey). Nevertheless, it was the gratitude that the composer felt toward his wealthy patron that spurred his creative process, and the result was a truly stunning piece of music.

It is impossible to truly understand the 4th symphony without addressing the issue of its programmatic nature. In simpler terms, does it tell a story? The short answer, most certainly, is, “yes?” The more complex answer is found in one of the letters written by Tchaikovsky to Meck in which he responds to this very question. The letter begins with Tchaikovsky elucidating the subtleties of musicality; that is, the story and soul in music. The composer likens the creation of music to that of literature: “Essence distilled into sounds,” he writes, “in the same manner in which a lyrical poet expresses himself in verse. The only difference is that music has much more powerful means and a more subtle language with which to express thousands of different emotions and frames of mind.” The letter then broadens to further capture the methodology behind Tchaikovsky’s creative process. It’s all an incredibly fascinating read, one which I wholly recommend. Diving deeper into the letter, Tchaikovsky begins to spell out his version of the story behind his 4th symphony.