Fate and Freedom: USC Thornton Symphony presents Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor
Carl St.Clair, Conductor

ADMISSION:
Admission is free. Reservations required. RSVP at the links below beginning Tuesday, August 16, at 9 a.m.

USC Students, Staff, and Faculty: RSVP
USC Alumni: RSVP
General Public: RSVP

DESCRIPTION:
Encounter one of the most unique musical sagas in symphonic music as conductor Carl St.Clair leads the USC Thornton Symphony in a theatrical and musical performance revealing the rich layers of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36.

Tchaikovsky regarded his Fourth Symphony as an “imitation of the basic idea of Beethoven’s Fifth,” specifically the tension between fate and freedom. The symphony was written between 1877 and 1878, a time when Tchaikovsky struggled with numerous personal misfortunes: health issues, a failed marriage, blackmail, his brother’s criminal activities, serious money problems, closeted homosexuality, and vicious rumors, just to name a few. He dedicated the symphony to the wealthy patron Nadezhda von Meck, calling it “Our Symphony” to acknowledge that it was her support that made it possible for Tchaikovsky to create the work in this challenging time. The only condition of von Meck’s patronage was that she and Tchaikovsky were never to meet in person. He did, however, write a program explaining the symphony to his patron. The program was not meant for public consumption, but only to elucidate the meaning of the symphony for his distant “best friend” and benefactor.

In this illuminating performance, actors will play the roles of Peter Tchaikovsky and Madame von Meck, quoting from letters and the composer’s explanatory program while his music, performed by the USC Thornton Symphony, unfolds in four mesmerizing movements.

Organized by the USC Thornton School of Music.