Musicologists often classify Tchaikovsky’s 1888 Fifth Symphony in E Minor, Op. 64 as his “Fate Symphony,” given the repeated motif that infiltrates each mvmt. The 1st mvmt’s low strings establish a heaviness of tone that suggests a surrender to the inevitable. The Allegro con anima’s competing impulses are martial and waltz-like, the later molto cantabile ed espressivo, singing and ardent. The funeral march-like coda has trumpet fanfares & low basses whose descending scale express a last gasp.

The famous 2nd mvmt, Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza, extends the melancholy, though with gracious melodies. A horn solo invites relief from the gloom. The indication “with some freedom” permits the conductor a degree of rubato, the ability to tug or stretch the melodic line. Twice, an explosion of grief interrupts the flow, set by the trombone, tuba, and timpani. Pizzicato (plucked) strings and silences no less invade the occasion’s calm. The solo clarinet comments on the sense of tragedy, ascending but still forlorn.

The third movement, Allegro moderato, is a waltz movement, quite gracefully balletic. Rhythmic shifts of the basic pulse set a virtuoso demand on the players. Even in this sweet music, the “Fate” theme appears. Clarinets and bassoons have the final word.

Finale: Andante maestoso sets the “Fate” motif in shiny E Major. The mood is heroic, optimistic, exuberant. When the music proceeds to the Allegro vivace, it becomes a Russian dance played with aggression and resolve. Again, even if the music imitates a balalaika orchestra, the “Fate” motif insinuates itself, culminating in recapitulation in the trombones, a contest between the elation of Life and the ineluctable force of Death. The sense of a personal victory emerges from the march lastly played Presto, with dazzling syncopations.

Erwin Schulhoff (1908-1942) composed his 5 Pieces for String Quartet in 1924. Of German-Jewish extraction, and trained in the German/Slavic tradition, he became interested in Jazz, expressionism, Dadaism, and Alban Berg’s serial technique. The 5 Pieces are dances and dedicated to Darius Milhaud. The first is a Viennese waltz in ¾ time and uses moments of witty sarcasm in portamentos (slides). The 2nd piece Alla Serenata is a haunted dance in 5/8. Dynamics alter suddenly. The sound becomes a parody of Eastern music. The third dance is a Czech polka, a parody of Sunday-band concerts. The music accelerates to an impossible tempo to challenge the players. The fourth dance, Alla Tango milanga, has a sophisticated sensuality, exotic and Mediterranean colors, and castanets and tambourines. Piccolo, solo violin, and harp enter the mix. The fifth dance is a Tarantella, an Italian, wild swirl meant to counteract the poisonous tarantula’s bite. The music moves in rapid 6/8 waves. The tempo increases to a point of anarchy, so conductor Honeck calls for a tam-tam. Trombone slides and a triple forte end loudly and with spirit.