Rossini's spirited Overture to Semiramide begins with exuberant energy underneath, but cautions of darkness to come, setting the mood for Tchaikovsky's epic showdown with fate in his Symphony No. 5. With a musical theme so powerful it has come to be known as the sound of fate itself, Tchaikovsky takes us on a heroic journey - through an ominous beginning, a stirring middle, and a victorious conclusion.