Symphony No. 6 (Tchaikovsky)

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Excerpt from the fourth movement of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique Symphony.
Excerpt from the fourth movement of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique Symphony.

The Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathétique, Op. 74 is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's final symphony, and his final completed work. It was premiered nine days before his death in 1893. Tchaikovsky said of it, "Without exaggeration, I have put my whole soul into this work."[1]

Contents

[edit] Title

The Russian title of the symphony, Патетическая (Patetičeskaja), means "passionate" or "emotional", not "arousing pity". Tchaikovsky considered calling it Программная (Programmnaja or "Programme Symphony") but realised that would encourage curiosity about the programme, which he did not want to reveal. According to his brother Modest, he suggested the Патетическая title, which was used in early editions of the symphony; there are conflicting accounts about whether Tchaikovsky liked the title,[2] but in any event his publisher chose to keep it and the title remained. Its French translation Pathétique is generally used in French, English, German and other languages.[3]

[edit] Instrumentation

Woodwinds
3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo)
2 oboes
2 clarinets in A
2 bassoons
Brasss
4 Horns in F
2 trumpets in Bb and A
3 Trombones (2 tenors and a bass)
1 tuba
Percussions
1 timpani
1 bass drum
1 cymbals
1 tam-tam (ad libitum)
Strings
Violins I, II
Violas
Violoncellos
Double basses

Note: A bass clarinet is sometimes used to play the bassoon solo marked pppppp in the first movement, to get the desired quietness.

[edit] Structure

The symphony contains four movements

  1. Adagio - Allegro non troppo
  2. Allegro con grazia
  3. Allegro molto vivace
  4. Finale: Adagio lamentoso

The first movement is cast in a modified Sonata-allegro form with an introduction (m.1-18), an exposition consisting of two theme groups (m.19-88 and m.89-160), a development section (m.161-304), a recapitulation in which only the second theme group is repeated (m.305-334), and a coda (m.335-354). The movement opens with a slow bassoon solo, stating a motif that will become the first theme, accompanied by low strings. A romantic theme occurs 89 bars in. After some development, it fades away in a bassoon passage marked pppppp, followed (at bar 161) by a sudden tutti fortissimo and an agitated passage. According to Simon Karlinsky,[4] in an oral tradition passed from Tchaikovsky, to his brother Modest, to the painter Pavel Tchelitchew, to a musician called Alex, to him in 1941, the secret programme of the symphony is about the love of two men—represented by the romantic theme—and the agitated passage represents the attacks of a hostile world. Or perhaps, just a somber majestic melody having nothing to do with external sexuality. A brief trombone chorale based on an Orthodox hymn is heard after a climax represented by descending trumpet scales. The battle would continue through its development until a tragic eruption. A restatement of the romantic theme in B major is heard this time darker in mood. Lastly, a wind chorale plays over descending pizzicato B major scales.

The second movement takes the form of a lively dance. Its unusual 5/4 time signature is the subject of much speculation, most of which claims that the movement acts as a stretched or limping waltz. [1]

The third movement is again upbeat. In common time, it adheres to much more of a standard form than the rest of the work. The movement revolves around two themes, a nervous, jittery motif in the woodwinds and a majestic march originating in the brass. As a march, it is very un-military. Its harmonic structure is based on the tonic and subdominant rather than the more common tonic and dominant. The jittery theme completely gives way to the march theme at the short development. Eventually, the orchestra launches into a full, triumphant chorus of the brass theme at the movement's end, often leading many people to believe that the symphony is over. For this reason, audiences sometimes mistakenly applaud after the movement.

The final movement immediately returns to the darkness of the first with its brooding tone and slow tempo. The opening is scored unusually, the first and second violins taking turns to play the notes of the main "desperation" theme, meaning neither actually plays the melody as heard, and the same is done with the other parts. During the second "consolatory" theme, a slow crescendo builds up to a fortissimo of wailing strings accompanying a fanfare for the brass and drums. The first movement's bassoon theme reemerges briefly before the recapitulation. The main theme is built upon, switching to its tonic major; after much development the movement, without ever quickening, again climaxes with a fff drumroll, brass knell, and a resurgence of the first string theme. The second theme, now in its tonic minor, re-emerges and then meanders off into a quiet ending. According to Karlinsky, it is an elegy for one or more of Tchaikovsky's deceased lovers.

Among the sketches for the "Pathétique" were found sketches of the projected Cello Concerto. It was debated whether or not the sketches were to belong to the finale of the symphony or a completely different work. After much discussion, experts agreed that the sketches belonged to the Cello Concerto.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Steinberg, Michael. "The Symphony: a listener’s guide". p. 635-641. Oxford University Press, 1995.
  2. ^ Listen to Discovering Music - Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony. from 2:30
  3. ^ Steinberg, Michael. "The Symphony: a listener’s guide". p. 635-641. Oxford University Press, 1995.
  4. ^ "Should We Retire Tchaikovsky?" Christopher Street Vol 11 No 3, 16-21

[edit] External links

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Symphonies by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky