Programme

R Schumann Symphony No. 4 (1851 revision)

André de Ridder Conductor

Robert Schumann’s Fourth Symphony, though called his fourth, was actually his second, composed shortly after his First Symphony and completed in just four days—a burst of creativity noted by his wife Clara.

In contrast to the conventional, cheerful First Symphony, the Fourth is structurally experimental, brooding in D minor, and initially baffled audiences, leading Schumann to shelve it for a decade. He later revised and re-orchestrated it, adding horns, thickened textures, and reworked parts, so that by its 1851 re-premiere it became his fourth chronologically.

The symphony begins with a slow, Haydn-like introduction that flows into Romantic surges, featuring recurring themes rather than traditional exposition, and moves seamlessly through three connected movements. The second movement Romanze presents an oboe-cello duet, while thematic material links across movements, including a lyrical violin theme that reappears in the third movement. A coda transitions to the lively D major finale, transforming earlier brooding material into jubilant celebration, reflecting the duality of Schumann’s music, life, and the symphony’s initially mixed but ultimately beloved reception.