[Thomas Adès' arrangement of Couperin's *Les Barricades mystérieuses*](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNWz7Uq5WIE). Playful, under four minutes, with a repeating motif weaved through the parts of the different instruments.
Maybe the beginning of Britten's "A young persons guide to the orchestra" (with a stop after about 2 minutes after all the sections have played the theme once and the tutti played a neat coda).
https://youtu.be/4vbvhU22uAM?feature=shared
Not sure what you mean by "an echo of a musical refrain", but when I read "playful music" and "repeating in different instruments" I immediately think (as anyone else would probably) of Boléro by Ravel, although it's not 4 minutes but rather ~15.
Creston's "A Rumor" does run 5'55" but doesn't seem it and otherwise fits perfectly. There's a fine album by Marriner with several other excellent American pieces. Totally worth checking out.
Maybe something like the theme and variations from Schubert's (in)famous Trout Quintet might be what you're looking for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b59IfQkNhvU
The second movement (“vivace”) from Mendelssohn’s third Symphony (often called The Scottish) exactly fits your description.
https://youtu.be/lbNNEyZthuY?si=cYhikUHHZvmCo5Ki
The second movement of Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra.
[Thomas Adès' arrangement of Couperin's *Les Barricades mystérieuses*](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNWz7Uq5WIE). Playful, under four minutes, with a repeating motif weaved through the parts of the different instruments.
Look up any passacaglia.
It's defnitely not 4 minutes, but Ravel's Bolero is the ultimate piece for featuring the same tune played by different instruments
I saw no one mentioned it so I wrote my comment and as I hit post there was your answer :p
Maybe the beginning of Britten's "A young persons guide to the orchestra" (with a stop after about 2 minutes after all the sections have played the theme once and the tutti played a neat coda). https://youtu.be/4vbvhU22uAM?feature=shared
Arvo Part, "Fratres" You'll find this piece in many different instrumentations, which is fun to compare.
Not sure what you mean by "an echo of a musical refrain", but when I read "playful music" and "repeating in different instruments" I immediately think (as anyone else would probably) of Boléro by Ravel, although it's not 4 minutes but rather ~15.
Nagoya Marimbas by Steve Reich imperfectly fits that description.
Much longer than 4 minutes but Wojciech Kilar's Exodus is worth checking
Creston's "A Rumor" does run 5'55" but doesn't seem it and otherwise fits perfectly. There's a fine album by Marriner with several other excellent American pieces. Totally worth checking out.
Hisaishi’s Asian Works III: Xpark might fit the bill? [here](https://open.spotify.com/track/0OgQe48qw8g86igNp5B3UZ?si=s3QkdQnAQLq6kE0mxS_mGw)
Shostakovich waltz no 2
Maybe something like the theme and variations from Schubert's (in)famous Trout Quintet might be what you're looking for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b59IfQkNhvU
The second movement (“vivace”) from Mendelssohn’s third Symphony (often called The Scottish) exactly fits your description. https://youtu.be/lbNNEyZthuY?si=cYhikUHHZvmCo5Ki
Finale to Haydn's symphony no 80 in d minor