Following a period of tremendous personal strife, Tchaikovsky was infected with a spirit of wanderlust which fortuitously brought him to the Italian countryside. Here he completed both his Fourth Symphony and his Cappriccio Italien. Described by his own hand as an “Italian fantasy on folk tunes,” the work explores common Italian forms and styles. 

The piece opens with a bugle call, a reference to his time spent living next to the barracks of the Royal Italian Cuirrassiers, before opening up to a string melody that feels rather decidedly somber and Russian. A duet with the oboe introduces a lightness that then turns into a buoyant dance. Finally, the work takes off in a lively tarantella, a feverish dance meant to chase away the bite of a spider. From here the work speeds rapidly out of control to its delightful and rattling end