The first three pieces in the series The Viola in My Life—the first two for viola and small ensemble, the third for viola and piano, all written in 1970—were part of Feldman's move from graphic notation back to conventional scoring. They also betrayed more of a lyrical, almost melodic, impulse than had been evident in his works of the previous two decades. The Viola in My Life 4, commissioned by the Venice Biennale for its 1971 festival, was described by the composer as "an orchestral 'translation'" of musical materials from its three predecessors. The solo instrument carries the melodic line throughout the work's 20 minutes, over a diverse but rather static orchestral accompaniment. The composer likened the interplay of viola and orchestra to "a bird trying to soar in a confined landscape."

The viola's dissonant song, though fragmentary by most composers' standards, is more long-breathed by far than is usual for Feldman. The orchestral backing is largely made up of dissonant chords, constantly evolving in timbre. A three-note descending figure, sometimes reduced to a two-note variant, recurs throughout the work. Although the music is generally on the quiet side, as is typical with Feldman, there is more dynamic contrast than is his norm, with a particularly fierce if brief crescendo just past the work's halfway point. In a 1972 program note, Feldman refers to the "stasis" that develops as the work progresses: "As in a dream, there is no release until we wake up, and not because the dream has ended."

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