ðə fˈɜːst ænd fˈoːɹθ mˈuːvmənts bˈɑːɹoʊ ɐ θˈiːm wˌɪtʃ fˈɔːɹmz ðə kəntˈɪnjuːəs bˈækɡɹaʊnd fɔːɹ "hˌaʊ blˈɛst ɑːɹ ðeɪ ðæt hæv ɛndˈʊɹd" ɪn fˈiːlɪks mˈɛndɪlsˌoʊnz ˌɔːɹətˈoːɹɪˌoʊ "sənt. pˈɔːl," ɐ wˈɜːk wˌɪtʃ ʃˈuːmən pɹˈeɪzd ɪn ɐ lˈɛɾɚ dˈeɪɾᵻd mˈɑːɹtʃ tˈuː, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi nˈaɪn.
The first and fourth movements borrow a theme which forms the continuous background for "How blessed are they that have endured" in Felix Mendelsohn's oratorio "St. Paul," a work which Schumann praised in a letter dated March 2, 1839.