The Wireless Orchestra, conducted by John Ansell
Edith Furmedge (Contralto)
Ruby Helder (Tenor)
Cecil Baumer (Pianoforte)

Tchaikovsky was fond of attaching emotional 'programmes' to his works, generally making them out to be commentaries on the darker side of things. In the Fourth Symphony he introduces a 'Motto' theme that. he said, represented 'Fate... that inevitable, force which checks our aspirations towards happiness.' This motif is one of the main themes in the First Movement, and it also comes into the Last.
Of the two Movements we are now to hear, the Third Movement is a lively one. It is marked pizzicato ostinato, which means that the String players pluck their strings with the finger, instead of playing with the bow. It has three strongly marked musical ideas, which enter in this order: (1) The pizzicato music, which is unmistakable and is carried to some length: (2) a tune played by Wind instruments, suggestive of street music; (3) martial music on Trumpets. These three ideas are worked into it Movement of very individual character that is often played apart from the Symphony.
The Fourth Movement is one of Tchaikovsky's noisiest. Writing his own explanation of it. the Composer said: 'Go to the people. See how they can enjoy life and give themselves up entirely to festivity. A rustic holiday is depicted.' It is evident that the Russian peasantry enjoyed itself boisterously. There is no need to give clues to this effective piece of orchestral impetuosity. At its height the 'Motto' theme enters 'Hardly have we time to forget ourselves in the spectacle of other people's pleasures,' says the Composer, 'when indefatigable Fate reminds us once more of its presence.'