Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120

Schumann's Fourth Symphony has one of the most complicated histories in the symphonic canon: first composed in 1841 (the same year as the 'Spring' Symphony), it was withdrawn after a disappointing premiere and completely revised in 1851 into its familiar form — the version Schumann himself called his 'most perfect' symphony. The four movements are played without break, connected by transitional passages that give the work an unusual organic unity; a single motto-theme permeates all four movements in various transformations. The finale's striding main theme drives the symphony to an exhilarating conclusion. Brahms famously preferred the 1841 version for its leaner orchestration, sparking the 'Brahms vs. Clara' controversy that has never been fully resolved; today conductors perform one or the other, or sometimes both versions in the same program.