Tchaikovsky’s Fifth is one of the most luscious of symphonies. It takes hold of the listener from the very first notes – a soft, slow phrase emanating from the deepest registers of the clarinet – and builds to climaxes of massive proportions. Shaping this towering symphony is Eivind Aadland, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director.

Tchaikovsky considered his fifth symphony a failure at its premiere, but audiences from the past century and a half would beg to differ. Tchaikovsky takes the main theme on a dramatic journey, toying with it in moods that range from the sombre opening clarinet melody to the triumphant march in the final movement. In the second movement, a hauntingly beautiful string introduction leads to a sublime horn solo, with cameos from the clarinet and bassoon. A master of ballet music, Tchaikovsky replaces the traditional third movement scherzo with a graceful waltz.

Performed live as part of Brahms / Tchaikovsky on 18 November 2023 at Federation Concert Hall, nipaluna / Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

PROGRAM
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No 5 in E minor, Op 64

Conductor: Eivind Aadland
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra