The BBC presents Sir Henry Wood 's 49th season. Associate conductor,. Sir Adrian Boult. BBC Symphony Orchestra (leader, Paul Beard ). Moiseiwitsch (piano) Tchaikovsky Suite : The Swan Lake Piano Concerto No. 2, in G Symphony No. 4, in F minor From the Royal Albert Hall, London
Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony was composed during the year of the composer's unhappy marriage, which within three months resulted in a final separation. Through the financial help of his strange friend Nadejda von Meek (whom he never met) he was enabled to go to Italy, where, in Venice, he completed this F minor Symphony which he dedicated ' to my Best Friend '. The central idea of the whole work is Fate, which is represented by a recurring theme that -is both definite and arresting.