Conducted by the composer at its premiere just nine days before his untimely death (from negligent consumption of unboiled water leading to cholera or intentional suicide), the Symphony #6 in B minor ("Pathetique") by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) traverses an expansive emotional landscape.  From the first movement's intense yet turbulent romantic passion to the second's playful "waltz in 5/4 time,", from the scurrying yet ultimately triumphant march of the third movement to the desolate relinquishment of life itself in the fourth and last, the "Pathetique" is the model of the tragic symphony.  This gorgeous and moving score speaks of deep personal anguish hidden from an uncomprehending world.

​

Program:

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887): "In the Steppes of Central Asia" (1880)

Pytor Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Symphony #6 in B minor, op. 74 (1893)