Introduction
Despite the emergence of new musical trends now and then, classical music is eternal in affecting the emotions of people of different ages and preferences. I had heard of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 Pathétique as the composer’s ‘swan song,’ misunderstood by contemporaries but reevaluated after his death.
However, I did not receive the complete awe and the whole specter of emotions from listening to this grand piece until I visited the Richmond Symphony. The venue was rather fancy and elegant, and one of the country’s most prominent orchestras could not but add to the symphony’s majesty. While all four movements of the symphony are brilliantly written and performed, I decided to write about the fourth movement.
Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 Pathétique (Movement IV: Finale: Adagio Lamentoso)
Melody
The finale starts as a grieving song over broken dreams. The central theme is fantastic, almost repeating the second theme of the first part. While it is typical for symphonies to bear a ‘dying away’ nature, Tchaikovsky did not seem to entitle his finale to this feature. The contour of the symphony contains a rising tone and semitone, after which comes a falling semitone. The symphony’s climax was broadly expressed in the first part, and the finale melody only left me with a feeling of absolute admiration.
Harmony
The fourth part starts with a falling, triadic line is also present in the first part. An altered harmonic context about the chromatic richness and the flow of harmonic change characterizes the finale. The fourth part presents a combination of the chromatic and modal forms of the lament pattern. By doing so, the composer created a mixed element of grief. The effect was further emphasized by the antiphonal statements made by violins and cellos – modal and chromatic, respectively.
Written in B minor, the movement contradicted my expectations of an intense continuation of the third part. Instead, it was presented in slow Adagio, which, as I later realized, entirely corresponded to its title – ‘lamentoso,’ meaning ‘lamenting.’ Judging from what I had experienced of symphonies before this concert, Tchaikovsky’s finale was quite an original conception since it did not follow the typical symphonic harmony pattern.
Form
The atypical form of the fourth movement is noticed already in the fourth movement’s opening, with the first and second violin lines serving as an assemblage of what was heard in all parts. The result of such a combination is manifested in the descending line, the two-bar consequent statement, which culminates in yet another version of a prime motive.
The final section of the march is characterized by ostinato triplets, which resembles the theme of the first movement. The form of the finale matches the pitch outline from the second movement’s middle section theme. The fourth movement can also be connected to an isolated cadential figure from the first movement, which influences the prolonged sound of the dominant seventh in B minor, which can be heard before the start of Allegro nontroppo.
Texture
The fourth movement is a typical homophony, meaning that there is a primary part with the support of additional strands, which together provide the piece’s harmony. One melody is dominant, with other parts playing either an embellished accompaniment or single notes. Homophony helps to discern between the layers of the melody and evaluate the effect and contribution of each one to the final effect. In the fourth movement of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, an evident homophonic string texture creates the setting for the exposition’s suspension. On the other hand, the horn layer represents the counterpoint and elongates the central theme.
Dynamics
At the beginning of the movement, there is a long crescendo, followed by a series of descending scales and the return of the lamentoso theme. The piece ends with tam-tam sounds, leading the melody to a slow fade.
Tempo
The movement’s tempo is Adagio lamentoso, built upon the modal form and is relevant to basso lamento. The latter manifests a movement from tonic to dominant, eventually shifting toward the depths from which the symphony initially appeared. Such a descent from the tonic to the dominant point was an especially significant feature of Baroque-era music. The composer managed to make the tempo of the fourth movement even more emphatic by creating an exquisitely profound sound resulting from the division of the melody between the first and second violins. They play each note of the downward range in turns.
Instrumentation
The movement, as well as the whole symphony, is performed by an orchestra comprised of two oboes, three flutes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba and three timpani, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, and strings (violins I and II, cellos, and double basses). A bassoon plays the solo, whereas the winds and strings pick up the theme and further develop it.
Conclusion
The whole Symphony No. 6 Pathétique by Tchaikovsky, and the fourth movement in particular, had a profound effect on me. I was probably that impressed because I was pursuing the aim of being able to write a thorough report later. However, being extra attentive only added to the absorption of this incessant feeling of joy at being present in something so unique and glorious.
Reference
DW Classical Music. (2021). Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 Pathétique (Movement IV: Finale: Adagio Lamentoso) [Video]. YouTube. Web.
