Symphony No. 4 (Vaughan Williams)
The Symphony No. 4 in F minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams was dedicated by the composer to Arnold Bax.
Unlike Vaughan Williams' first three symphonies it was not given a title, the composer stating that it was to be understood as pure music, without any incidental or external inspiration. In contrast to Vaughan Williams' previous compositions, the symphony is characterised by a severity of tone. The British composer William Walton admired the work greatly, speaking of it as "the greatest symphony since Beethoven", and the score certainly contains many innovations.
The work was first performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Adrian Boult, in April 1935.
The work is in four movements (the third and fourth are linked).
- Allegro
- Andante moderato
- Scherzo : allegro molto
- Finale con epilogo fugato : allegro molto
A typical performance takes about 30 minutes.