Symphony No. 4 (Chávez)
Symphony No. 4, subtitled "Sinfonía romántica" (Romantic Symphony) is an orchestral composition by Carlos Chávez, composed in 1953. History. The score was commissioned by and is dedicated to the Louisville Orchestra, which premiered the work on 11 February 1953, conducted by the composer. After the first few performances, Chávez decided that the final movement, though sound in itself, was not satisfactory as a conclusion to this symphony. Consequently, he composed a new finale in October 1953, and published the original movement as a separate work, titled "Baile (cuadro sinfónico)" (Dance, Symphonic Picture). Instrumentation. The symphony is  scored for an orchestra of three flutes (third doubling piccolo), two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, three bassoons (third doubling contrabassoon), four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (three players), and strings. Analysis. The Symphony is divided into three movements: In contrast to the Third Symphony, there are no formal innovations here. The symphony is in the key of A—a sort of A minor tonality—though the overall character is brighter and more optimistic than the Third Symphony. Chávez treats his material cyclically, which means that thematic elements reappear throughout all three movements. References. Sources Symphony No