Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony: Context and Comparison

Katie TimmFinal ProjectM527

The Southern Indiana Sinfonietta has played a critical and

crucial role in the cultural life of the southern Midwest since

its foundation in 1910. Under the direction of world-renown

conductor Mr. Matthew Crawley, the Sinfonietta has focused in the

last decade on Russian music. Last year, it recorded the complete

symphonic works of Alexander Borodin under the D’Abbey label.

Most recent tours have taken the Sinfonietta to Yellowknife,

Northwest Territories, Canada; Windhoek, Namibia; and most

recently, the Republic of Kosovo. The executive board of the

Southern Indiana Sinfonietta would like to ask for your support

of its upcoming 2013 program, which will consist of Mozart’s

Jupiter Symphony, K.551; Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, the

Pathétique; and Mahler’s Third Symphony in D Minor.

It is arguable that crisis in a composer's life necessarily

results in the creation of his greatest works. It is a fact,

however, that Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky's life was wrought with

turmoil, distress, and self-doubt. Dysfunctional relationships,

struggles to emerge as a composer, and inner conflicts with self-

identity affected Tchaikovsky and his music. According to


Richard Taruskin, “It follows then, that his music, and

especially his symphonic music, is biographical, psychological,

and programmatic above all.” 1 It is imperative, therefore, to

explore the life of the man Tchaikovsky to understand his

compositional output. The composer himself laments the

inseparable nature of his life and music: “I literally cannot

live without working.” 2

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born to Ilya and Aleksandra

Tchaikovsky on April 25, 1840. His father was employed as a

mining engineer, and the family moved numerous times when Pyotr

was young.3 Gerald Abraham notes that “his early family

attachments were so strong that they not only conditioned but

stifled his relationships with men and women throughout his

life.” 4 Sentimentality and affection were encouraged and shown

by his father. One of Pyotr's early nannies noted extreme

1 Richard Taruskin,“Tchaikovsky: A New View,” in Tchaikvosky and his Contemporaries:A Centennial Symposium held at Hofstra University, October 7-9, 1993. (Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1999), 33.2 Alexander Poznansky, Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man (New York: Schirmer

Books, 1991), 5523 John Roland Wiley,"Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il′yich," Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber (accessed September 4, 2012). 4 Gerald Abraham, ed. The Music of Tchaikovsky. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1946.


sensitivity in his juvenile writings; sensitivity – along with

nervous tendencies -- followed him throughout his life. Pyotr’s

musical talents were discovered early: his mother placed him at a

keyboard to discover he had perfect pitch, and his father later

provided him with an orchestrion (a mechanical organ).

Tchaikovsky became so invested and overwhelmed by music that he

sometimes became ill when playing the piano.5

Young Pyotr entered the School of Jurisprudence in 1852.

The school “sponsored concerts by first-rate musicians, provided

instruction in singing and instrumental music and gave students

access to concerts and opera in St. Petersburg.”6 Tchaikovsky

was exposed to Italian theater and opera during this time period,

but notably was not encouraged in his talents by professors or

peers.7

After he completed his studies at the School of

Jurisprudence, he was appointed to the Ministry of Justice.8

However, instead of focusing on professional pursuits, he

5 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 3-86 Wiley,“Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il’yich.”7 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 26-278 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 50-62. All information in the following paragraph is

taken from this source.


endeavored to become a socialite. Poznansky claims that this

transitional period in Tchaikvosky's life (1859 - 1862) is often

overlooked. He asserts that the composer was developing as an

individual during this time. During these years, Tchaikovsky

dabbled in European culture outside of Russia and began to form

new acquaintances. As he did so, he began to act on his

homosexual tendencies, struggled with his introversion, and

attempted to balance conformity with individuality. These

struggles coincided with Tchaikovsky's desire to pursue music

professionally. Modest Tchaikovsky “insists that by the autumn

of 1862 music had come to consume his brother, displacing his

former society acquaintances and diversions.”9

“One can only guess how Tchaikovsky the socialite would have

ended up without the developments in music pedagogy taking shape

around him.”10 The formation of the Russian Musical Society in

1859 allowed Tchaikovsky to study theory, composition, piano,

flute, and organ when he entered the institution in 1862. He

9 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 62.10 Wiley,“Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il’yich.” All information in the following

paragraph is taken from this source.


studied with Anton Rubinstein, and matured very quickly as a

composer. His love of literature and poetry influences his early

compositions; early musical influences include Beethoven and

Schumann. While at the conservatory, Tchaikovsky contemplated

his identity as a composer and his relationship to Russian (as

compared to Western) music. Tchaikovsky maintained a lack of

total association with either Russian or Western music; this

dichotomous stance will later impact reception of his works.

In January of 1866 (after a period of financial trouble and

self-doubt), Tchaikovsky was recruited by Rubinstein's brother,

Nikolay, to teach at the Moscow Conservatory. He struggled to

balance his desire to compose with his professorship duties – and

often, as foretold by childhood episodes, was in ill health

because of his anxieties. Despite these anxieties, he made

important professional connections during this time. His social

status was further solidified by an association with members of

the Moscow elite, the Artistic Circle. He admitted, however, to

be a “lovable misanthrope,” often questioning his attachment to


people and his social life because of his sexuality.11 More

importantly, however, in 1868-1869 he came into contact with Mili

Balakirev, the founder of the Mighty Five.12 The nationalist

group did not look kindly at Tchaikovsky's compositions,

attacking his conservatory training and his choice of musical

material. This initial meeting sparked a future tense

relationship, exemplified in this quote by Tchaikovsky: “In

particular I find (Balakirev's) narrowness of view unpleasant as

well as the stubbornness with which he sticks to his

enthusiasms . . . justice compels me to say that he is a good,

honest man and as a musician he stands way above the general

level.”13

Two women played an immeasurable role in Tchaikovsky's life

beginning in 1877.14 Due to pressures put on him by his family

and society, he married Antonina Ivonovna Milyukova. Accounts

since Tchaikovsky's time have unfairly depicted her as monstrous

11 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 88-8912 Wiley,“Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il’yich.”13 Alexandra Orlova, Tchaikovsky: A Self-Portrait (New York: Oxford University Press,

1990), 22-2314 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 195-237. All information in the following paragraph is

taken from this source.


and purely evil. Undisputedly, however, her mental instability

and emotional abuse of Tchaikovsky profoundly impacted his

further social endeavors and general well-being. They separated

after a brief marriage of a few weeks, but divorce proceedings

continued well into Tchaikovsky's later years. After 1877,

Tchaikovsky came into contact with a widow, Nadezhda von Meck,

who began giving him a regular allowance. This enabled him to

declare financial independence from Antonina and focus on his

compositional career. Tchaikovsky and von Meck corresponded and

traveled together until her death in 1890. Despite numerous

fall-outs in their friendship, he refers to her as his best

friend often and dedicates his fourth symphony to her, calling it

“our symphony.” Poznansky describes their relationship and its

oddities: “(It) is arguably one of the most extraordinary unions

between a man and a woman known to modern history.”15

October 1878 marked Tchaikovsky's last day as professor at

the Moscow Conservatory. His dissatisfaction with the city of

Moscow and his newfound financial independence made this

15 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky¸592.


transition possible.16 However, the years after his departure

from the Conservatory proved anything but carefree. His

relationship problems increased exponentially. His love for his

nephew Bob – to whom he would dedicate the sixth symphony --

began to form during 1878 and 187917; some speculate that during

this time Tchaikovsky developed an unhealthy obsession with the

boy. His divorce from Antonina continued to give him problems,

as she continued to assault him with legal formalities, which

often caused Tchaikovsky to have anxiety spells. In 1882 his

niece Tanya added to his domestic problems by developing a

morphine addiction. Tchaikovsky tried to remedy this by offering

her financial assistance to his own detriment.

In addition to relationship problems, Tchaikovsky also

grieved the loss of many friends.18 In 1880, his beloved

servant Alyosha was drafted into the military (which hindered

Tchaikovsky’s ability to compose). The deaths of Alexander II

and Anton Rubinstein affected him greatly. He formed a dangerous

16 Wiley,“Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il’yich.” 17 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 333-334, 407. All following information in the

following paragraph is taken from this source.18 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 379.


attachment to card-playing after these losses (referred to in his

diaries as X-Z), which affected him mentally and emotionally.

It has been suggested by Gerald Abraham that Tchaikovsky

wrote his greatest music during times of turmoil. Admittedly,

this is the case in these years of his life, during which he

wrote the fourth symphony and Euguene. Abraham claims that

Tchaikovsky necessitated “constant effort and suffering to

produce art.”19 It is with these suggestions in mind that one

might examine Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony: its place in the

Romantic symphonic literature and the context in which it was

written.

Richard Taruskin in his paper “Tchaikovsky, A New View”

examines whether or not Tchaikovsky should even be considered a

Romantic composer. Tchaikovsky espoused an idolization of

Mozart. It was this affinity to the Viennese school that

insinuated Tchaikovsky's enmity with the Romantic ideal. German

Romanticism favored composition as self-expression, not as a

means of satisfying the public. Romanticism also divided beauty

19 Abraham, The Music of Tchaikovsky, 12.


and grandeur as two separate goals. According to Edward Burke,

“what is beautiful is 'comparatively small' as well as smooth,

polished, light, and delicate. The sublime is, well, great.”20

Tchaikovsky's stood on the borderline of Classicism and

Romanticism. His tendency toward melody and lyricism obscured

his adherence to form. His high degree of social consciousness

precluded his desire to express his individuality. Taruskin also

notes that his conservative compositional style might be

influenced by Russia's political environment. “He (Tchaikovsky)

was the last of the court composers and his work is the very last

great musical flowering of European court art . . . he was this

simply because he lived in the one surviving absolutist state in

Europe . . . and worked, like hardly another composer of his

time, under virtually eighteenth century conditions.”21

Additionally, one should consider Tchaikovsky's

compositional output from a nationalist perspective. Though he

could have belonged to the Mighty Five, he maintained his

distance. Consequently, the group rejected him because of his

20 Taruskin,“Tchaikovsky: A New View,” 30.21 Taruskin,“Tchaikovsky: A New View,” 42.


inexperience, conservatory training, and sensitivity22. The Five

saw Tchaikovsky as “an enemy of the public Russian school” 23 and

his music as excessive, meaningless, and thoroughly Western.

This perspective of Tchaikovsky's music also affected its

reception elsewhere in the world. A composer from the East

without an “oriental” identity was rarely paid any attention.

In contrast, David Brown suggests viewing Tchaikovsky's last

symphonic work as the work of a true Russian symphonist. He

lists stasis as the “cardinal flaw in Russian character,” 24

describing the Pathétique as extensive stagnation followed by

short periods of aggressive activity. He relates this symphony

to folksong, which functions as “a reflection on a protoshape – a

concentric, not an onward moving creation.”25

Tchaikovsky’s composition of the sixth symphony concurred

with events of his life’s last years. In 1885, the composer

22 Peter A Brown, The European Symphony from ca. 1800 to ca. 1930: Great Britain, Russian, and France, vol. 3, part B of The Symphonic Repertoire (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008), 339. 23 Richard Taruskin, "Nationalism," Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber (accessed September 4, 2012). Allfollowing information in this paragraph is taken from this source.24 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, A Biographical and Critical Study, vol. 4 (London: V. Gollancz,1978), 421. 25 Brown, Tchaikovsky, 422.


settled in Madanova, 90 kilometers outside of Moscow. 26 At this

time, von Meck had withdrawn her allowance. Needing to find a

job, Tchaikovsky assumed the position of director of the Moscow

Branch of the Russian Music Society. The relationship problems

previously discussed continued to plague him, as did the deaths

of family members and friends. Because of this, Tchaikovsky

began to contemplate death and life. Wiley summarizes the impact

this contemplation had on his last works: “In these last years,

Tchaikovsky's music projected, in its concern for legacy,

adherence to the highest standard, and its subtext, a late style

rooted in the philosophical distinction between 'of this world'

and 'not of this world.' Implicit was a sense of farewell,

stimulated by his contemplation of death, and expressed in a

range of images from pessimistic to utopian.”

Tchaikovsky's symphonic output actually contains eight

symphonies. The Manfred Symphony was composed between Symphonies

No. 4 and 5, and an early version of the sixth symphony is exists

26 Wiley,“Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il’yich.” All information in this paragraph is taken from this source.


in the unfinished E-flat major symphony.27 He resigned from work

on the E-flat symphony in 1893 and made an important trip to

Odessa early that year. After his return in February, he was

inspired to continue the sixth symphony. Though his work was

interrupted, he began scoring in July and completed the symphony

in August.28 The work was first performed on October 10, 1893 in

St. Petersburg, with mixed reactions. Tchaikovsky writes: “It’s

not that it displeased, but it produced some bewilderment. As

far as I am concerned, I take more pride in it than any other of

my works.” 29

The program of the Symphony Pathétique has received much

attention. Tchaikovsky clarified that, from its inception, he

had been working from a program. However, when asked what that

program entailed, he infamously replied, “Let them guess.” 30

Suggestions about the program are made by his brother Modest, who

insists that the symphony is autobiographical. Other sources

suggest a connection to the program of the 1892 E-Flat Symphony:

27 Brown, The European Symphony, 339.28 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 556-56829 Brown, The European Symphony, 44430 Poznansky, Tchaikovsky, 556-558. All information in this paragraph is taken

from this source.


in this work’s program, Tchaikovsky explores life, youth, love,

and death. The symphony may also function as a Requiem for

Tchaikovsky's dear friend, Apukhtin, who died in August of 1893.

Romance has played a defining – though not entirely helpful

– role in perceptions of Tchaikovsky’s death. The claim that the

sixth symphony serves as the composer’s last statement before his

own suicide has been disregarded. Alexander Poznansky and Ralph

Burr, Jr. state a particularly convincing argument to this end

refuting that of Alexandra Orlova. Orlova, a Soviet

musicologist, claims that Tchaikovsky was pressured to poison

himself by the School of Jurisdiction to cover up a student-

teacher homosexual relationship. Poznansky and Burr claim that

Tchaikovsky’s behavior prior to his death does not indicate any

thoughts of suicide; particularly, he was at peace and open with

his homosexuality. They argue that Tchaikovsky died of cholera,

not by suicide or maltreatment by a physician. Most important

for examination of the sixth symphony, they state that imposing a

suicidal program onto the work detracts from the music. “It is

to intrude unwarrantedly upon the mystery that allows art to free


itself from the creator’s control and to gain an independent and

perhaps undying significance.”31

The proximity of the Pathétique to this tragedy is enough to

bequeath unto it “undying significance.” However, Tchaikovsky’s

formal, programmatic, and aesthetic accomplishments in this

symphony prove just as remarkable. In the Pathétique,

Tchaikovsky straddles the line between Classicism and

Romanticism. He succeeds in creating traditional forms from

highly programmatic, biographical, and psychological musical

language. His love of lyricism is combined with “a state of

continued excitement necessary for (his) process of composition.”

This dichotomy of traditional form and narrative remains the

basis for ensuing criticism of his work. Some critics regard the

more traditional second and third movements as the pinnacle of

the symphony; others laud the outer movements as the height of

his compositional oeuvre.

An analysis of the symphony as a whole reveals three

synopses. Like earlier symphonic repertoire of the century, the

31 Ralph C. Burr, Jr. and Alexander Poznansky, “Tchaikovsky's Suicide: Myth and Reality,” 19th Century Music 11, no. 3 (1988): 220.


sixth symphony contains a high degree of unification and can be

analyzed as having a cyclic form. Abraham states that the

introduction of the first movement provides the germinal musical

material from which the first theme is built. The only other

reference to this introductory material is in the last movement:

here, the orchestra returns to the same register and

instrumentation as the opening few measures. Rudolph Reti claims

that Tchaikovsky does not to adhere to musical structure, but

“forge(s) different, often contrasting ideas into thematic

unity.”32 Henry Zajaczkowski makes a Freudian connection to the

Pathétique, exploring thematic unification as expressing

Tchaikovsky’s repressed feelings, all of which derive from a

central attraction to his family.33

Secondly, the sixth symphony, in contrast to Brahms or

Beethoven, contains episodes of stasis or inertia. Abraham

equates this with Russian opera practices. In contrast to

Western opera's continual development of plot and characters, a

32 Rudolph Reti, “The Symphonies,” in The Music of Tchaikovsky, ed. Gerald Abraham, 31-32.33 Henry Zajaczkowski. “Not to Be Born Were Best.... Henry Zajaczkowski

Proposes a Secret Programme for Tchaikovsky's Pathétique .” The Musical Times 134 (1993): 561-566.


Russian opera consists of isolated dramatic episodes, between

which the audience must make connections.34 In instrumental

writing, this technique has been labeled by Zajaczkowski as

“suppressive-propulsive.” In this technique, remaining in a

certain key area or formal section longer than normal suppresses

the expected change, while providing the anticipated key or

section a powerful – propelling – impetus.35 This technique

especially surfaces in Tchaikovsky's transitions and

developmental sections. Similarly, Tchaikovsky's themes often

relate to the simple, unbalanced forms of Russian folksong. Like

the Mighty Five, Tchaikovsky's symphonic themes lend themselves

more to variation than to development,36 lending to stasis

instead of forward motion. This is particularly seen in the

first movement.

A final statement can be made about the entire symphony's

tonal plan. This Symphony in B Minor begins in E minor, which –

34 Gerald Abraham, “The Elements of Russian Music.” Music and Letters 9, no. 1(1928): 5635 Henry Zajaczkowski, Tchaikovsky's Musical Style (Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press,

1987): 25, 45-4636 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, a Biographical and Critical Study, vol. 4. (Londong: V. Gollancz, 1978): 423-424


like the fifth symphony – emphasizes the importance of the sub-

dominant.37 The secondary key of the first movement, D, is the

opening key of the following valse. These two movements are

additionally connected: the middle of the first movement features

a D pedal which obscures greatly the B minor tonality. G major

(a third relation to B minor) is the primary key of the third

movement, and E major (related to the E minor of the opening

introduction and a third relation to G) is the secondary key.

The symphony concludes in B minor, concluding a unified tonal

plan. Interestingly, Kimmel notes the association of the tones e

and b (the beginning notes of the two tetrachords of the Phrygian

mode) with death.38

The first movement of the sixth symphony is seen as

Tchaikovsky's best construction of sonata-allegro form, though it

retains a sense of structural flexibility. Numerous critics have

commented on the substantive importance of the slow introduction.

37 Peter A. Brown, The European Symphony from ca. 1800 to ca. 1930: Great Britain, Russian, and France, vol. 3, Part B of The Symphonic Repertoire. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008):419. Following information in this paragraph, unless otherwise noted, is taken from this source.38 William Kimmel, “The Phrygian Infliction and the Appearances of Death in Music.” College Music Symposium 20, no. 2 (1980): 71


Abraham notes that, characteristic of Tchaikovsky's symphonies,

the opening measures synthesize the “affect” of the entire

symphony.39 As already noted, the introductory material

foreshadows the primary theme P, though in the sub-dominant.

Timothy Jackson also notes the prominent tritone interval in this

opening. In his analysis concerning sexuality in Tchaikovsky's

later symphonies, the tritone and later I-#IV-I relationships

suggest the deformation of structural diatonic harmony. This may

represent Tchaikovsky's view of his homosexuality as a derivation

from the heterosexual norm.40 David Brown notes of the opening

material, “Never before has a symphonic movement staked out so

wide an expressive area in so short a time.”41

P enters at m. 20, and is followed by a series of five

episodes (1T-5T).42 This first theme appears fragmented, and is

presented in a ternary form (mm. 20-23, 23-27, 28-30). The

transition to the second theme S ends at m. 88 with silence, one

39 Abraham, The Music of Tchaikovsky, 3340 Timothy L. Jackson, “Aspects of Sexuality and Structure in the Later Symphonies of Tchaikovsky.” Music Analysis 14, no. 1 (1995): 13-1641 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, 44742 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 419. Following information in paragraph,

unless otherwise noted, is taken from this paragraph.


of the most organic and effective transitions Tchaikovsky ever

conceived. The secondary theme S emerges from the silence at m.

91 and, appropriate to following complete silence, is presented

over static harmonic movement.43 It is notable that this S theme

(often referred to as the “love theme”) uses the leap of a sixth

to the mediant: a gesture, according to Kimmel, that

simultaneously depicts ecstasy and death.44 A third theme, K is

introduced at m. 142.45

The development begins violently at m. 161 with a tutti

statement of P (1N). This is followed by a fugato at m. 171 and

a section (m. 190) based on the descending figure first seen in

the slow introduction.46 The descending figures as well as the

downward spiral figures at m. 214 are both noted by Kimmel as

representative of death.47 In addition, a melody taken from

chant used during the Russian requiem is incorporated. The

texted version of this chant states, “With thy saints, O Christ,

give peace to the soul of thy servant.” This development differs

43 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, 44944 Kimmel, “The Phrygian Inflection,” 5645 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 41946 Ibid.47 Kimmel, “The Phrygian Inflection,”59


from standard sonata form in that it juxtaposes sections rather

than develops previously stated material. It is this sort of

“simplistic development” that is characteristic of Tchaikovsky:

material is repeatedly stated at different pitch levels (m. 190-

229) and contrasting sections are juxtaposed (1N, fugato).48

The slow introduction is repeated at m. 229, followed by the

recapitulation at m. 245. This recapitulation has development

overtones, manipulating both the primary and secondary themes.49

Timothy Jackson notes that the music of mm. 285-304 is taken from

music of Tchaikovsky's symphonic ballad, Voyevoda. The music in

the original work depicts an old man's demise and death after he

catches his wife cheating with a younger man. Notably, the

original key was D#-major (#IV). When placed in this symphony,

“the old general's demise becomes the aged Tchaikovsky's death in

expiation for his forbidden love for his nephew Bob Davydov.”50

New material is introduced in the coda -- a brass chorale

hearkens the orchestration composers have used to denote funerals

48 Zajaczkowski, Tchaikovsky’s Musical Style, 2549 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 419-42050 Jackson, “Sexuality and Structure,” 20-21


or funeral hymns. The themes of love and death are thoroughly

intertwined.

Numerous programmatic interpretations have been applied to

this first movement, two of which are mentioned here. David

Brown notes the appearance of a “fate theme” in all four

movements. In the first movement, this is the downward scalar

motion that appears at m. 15 and reappears in the development at

m. 190. The equivalence of fate with religion for Tchaikovsky

may explain the inclusion of the requiem chorale.51 Timothy

Jackson also sees fate in this movement as an “inhuman force” and

a “stabbing death sentence.” Tchaikovsky's view of his

homosexuality as a derivation from the norm was coupled with his

acknowledgment that fate had destined his “homosexual condition.”

The obvious theme of death is analytically pursued by Henry

Zajaczkowski. He finds that the requiem chorale Tchaikovsky uses

contains an inversion of the head-motif from a theme sung by the

Toreador Escamillo in Bizet's opera, Carmen (Tchaikovsky formed a

deep attachment to the music of Bizet beginning in 1876 and

51 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, 449-450


developed a rather strange obsession with his death).52 The text

with which this theme is associated speaks of ambivalence toward

love's destructive power. Zajaczkowski links the inclusion of

this inversion to a reversal of symbolism, “a vital feature of

Freud's theory of the masked representation of repressed impulses

and dreams.”53

The second movement of the Pathétique is described by modern

critics as a broken-down waltz in 5/4.54 It is easy to see why

Tchaikovsky chose this genre for the second movement: he was

closely associated with ballet and dance music, and was himself

the originator of the tragic or nostalgic valse. 55 Notably, all

of Tchaikovsky's dances as they occur in his symphonic works

carry a sense of impending doom. Tchaikovsky's association with

folk music and dance is also sensed in the meter and the

unrelenting, repetitive rhythmic quality.

In the sixth symphony, this valse is a binary form. Similar

to a scherzo, it utilizes repeats (but not at the reprise at m.

52 Abraham, The Music of Tchaikovsky, 41-4253 Zajaczkowski, “Not to be Born,” 56654 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 42155 Abraham, The Music of Tchaikovsky, 43. All following information in this



96) and contains well-defined codettas at the end of the A

section (m. 48) and its reprise (m. 144). The sense of unrest in

this movement is created by the asymmetry of the meter coupled

with the frequent juxtaposition of the melody (2+3) over an

accompaniment (3+2).56 The middle of the A section – first at m.

20, then later in the reprise at m. 114 – showcases a

characteristic orchestration of Tchaikovsky's, the “embroidery

effect,” where pizzicato passages in the strings weave around the

melody in the woodwinds.57 The coda of this movement proves

interesting in two regards. The contrast of the strings’

ascending scales with the woodwinds’ descending scales is similar

to the coda in Berlioz's waltz from his Symphonie Fantastique.58

Additionally, if one accepts the “fate” motive as the descending

scale, it's notable that it appears in this movement in the coda

(m. 152), spanning two octaves.59

The third movement's scherzo opens with a theme from Joachim

Raff's third symphony’s Finale. This opening theme is similar to

56 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 42257 Abraham, The Music of Tchaikovsky, 4358 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 42259 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, 451


that of the first movement in its miniature ternary form. The

entire movement is in ABAB form, alternating between the scherzo

(with its running triplet figuration) and a march.60 This

movement proves very interesting in its structural unification.

Hints of the march theme from B permeate the A section (for

example, first at m. 9 in the oboes).61 Tension is created in

the juxtaposition of the two themes, both in rhythm (duple versus

triple) and in character (flighty versus robust.) The idea of

juxtaposing and then combining two blocks of musical ideas is

characteristic of Tchaikovsky's developments. In the third

movement, this technique comes to fruition; eventually, the march

material will triumph, though not without struggle and

antithesis.

The third movement is not only notable in its structural

unification, but also in its orchestration. First, the entire

movement can be seen as a gradual crescendo, defined by

orchestration. Tchaikovsky also uses a few characteristic

orchestral techniques; these include moving the melody between

60 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 42461 Zajackzowski, Tchaikovsky’s Musical Style, 30-31


woodwind parts, accompanied by string pizzicatos (m. 9).62 This

is similar to the “embroidery effect” observed in the second

movement. Additionally, at the reprise of the A section

Tchaikovsky writes for eight string parts – a two-part divisi for

each stringed instrument (m. 139). Abraham calls this aspect of

string-writing – and how Tchaikovsky uses strings as rhythmic

foundation and ornamentation in this movement – “unsurpassed.”63

David Brown analytically connects this movement's program

with the program of the E-flat symphony. In this earlier version

of the Pathétique, the third movement represents

“disappointments” in the composer’s life.64 The “fate” motive in

this movement of the Pathétique occurs in E-flat in m.45. Its

appearance defines the A section as declamatory and not merely

introductory, and initiates the first of two three-part

transition groups (mm. 53-71, 109-113, 131-139; mm. 195-229, 267-

283, 301-316.) Two other statements of “fate” initiate the

second group of three (m. 183-189) and conclude the piece (m.

62 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 42463 Abraham, The Music of Tchaikovsky, 3464 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, 452-455


338). These transitions create a forward motion that drives the

music toward the next section. Each becomes more agitated and

urgent, until the last transition leads to the eventual

annihilation of the triplet movement and a final sense of

desperation.

The famous adagio of the fourth movement unexpectedly

contrasts with the third movement. The expressive, but simple,

binary form relieves Tchaikovsky from having to match the

supremacy of the first movement in weight or structure: in its

poignancy and directness, the fourth movement balances the first

three. The themes P and S are unified by mutual basis on a

descending figure (this could symbolize the omni-presence of fate

in Brown's analysis.)65 P is comprised of descending, parallel

second-inversion seventh chords, and S is a four-measure hymn-

like melody.66 Tchaikovsky appropriately capitalizes on the

lyrical, step-wise quality of S for developmental purposes,

fitting for the tranquil disposition of the movement. There is a

65 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, 45566 Kraus, Joseph C., “Tchaikovsky” in The Nineteenth Century Symphony, ed. D. Kern

Holoman (New York: Schirmer Books, 1997): 323


strong motivic connection between S and the primary theme in the

last movement of Spohr's fourth symphony. There may also be a

programmatic connection to the earlier work, as Spohr's movement

is comprised of funeral music and is titled “Comfort in Tears.”67

Much discussion has occurred over the first theme and its

orchestration. Here, Tchaikovsky divides the melody of the

descending figure between the first and second violins, so that

alternating notes are given to the two sections. This technique

of “hocket” is not new in Tchaikovsky's symphonic output, though

it has not been used to this extent before. Previous examples of

this style of writing include his Third Suite (where the violas

alternate in octave leaps so that the effect is a unison) and in

Sleeping Beauty.68

Multiple interpretations of this technique have likewise

been formulated. David Brown equates the technique with the

Renaissance idea of “eye music” (music realized visually, as in

isorhythm, but not always realized by an audience aurally.) He

67 Peter Brown, The European Symphony, 41768 Zajackzowski, Tchaikovsky’s Musical Style, 108


sees its role in the program as obscuring the presence of fate.69

Timothy Jackson also sees Tchaikovsky's view of the impact of

fate on his life, that it “tears him apart” because of his

derivative condition.70

Zajaczkowski's analytical work on this symphony concerns

both P and P's return at m.103.71 The descending contour of P is

related to the contour of two other themes that focus on the idea

of death (from Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin and The Queen of

Spades.) Zajaczkowski views the orchestration of P as being

related to Freud's concept of cathexis and anticathexis.

Musically, the second violins supplant the first violins in their

usual primacy in melodic importance. The first violins reassert

their supremacy at the end of the phrase, though not in a

convincing or conclusive manner. In Freud's theory, memories

that have been transformed into derivatives of the repressed

retain some of their original emotional content (cathexis). The

consciousness, however, uses some of this original content to

69 David Brown, Tchaikovsky, 45570 Jackson, “Sexuality and Structure,” 2271 Zajackzowski, “Not to be Born,” 462-463. All following information in this



form the anticathexis that drives these memories away.

Zajaczkowski relates this psychoanalytical process of “divided

loyalties” and the partial supremacy of the consciousness to the

division of the melody.

Zajaczkowski purports a programmatic interpretation accepted

by multiple scholars: the return of P at m.103 by full orchestra

(with undivided melody) represents the unveiling of previously

hidden death.72 However, in the same Freudian analysis he

reaches additional conclusions. The outline of the “love theme”

of the first movement’s second subject is embedded in retrograde

in the return of P. This juxtaposition of love and death amidst

the hysteria that accompanies is “very comparable to

Tchaikovsky's attachment to his mother, in which the roots of his

hysteria undoubtedly lie.”73 According to Freudian theory, an

additional source of sexual frustration and hysteria would be his

mother's death and the birth of his twin siblings. Their

representational inclusion in this music shows Tchaikovsky's

72 Zajackzowski, “Not to be Born,” 463-466. All information in the following paragraph is taken from this source.

73 Ibid, 563


“insistence on our sharing his nervous attacks; 'projection'

operates mainly outside conscious control.”74

The conclusion of this symphony is rife with images of

death. Kraus notes the descending Phrygian tetrachord beginning

at mm. 148-14975, a common symbol for death. Also notable is the

return of the brass orchestration for the closing chorale; the

funeral music here poignantly speaks of the finality of death.

In contrast to inevitability of and submission to death

portrayed in the conclusion of the Pathétique, Mozart’s Jupiter

Symphony and Mahler’s Third Symphony both conclude with

triumphant and optimistic finales. This striking difference is

only one of many dissimilarities. Though Tchaikovsky idolized

Mozart as the ideal composer, his intensely programmatic language

and formal shortcomings starkly contrast with Mozart's skillful

manipulation of form and motivic material. Likewise, the universe

contained in Mahler’s Third Symphony seems to come from a

different realm than either of its predecessors; Mahler even

denounces Tchaikovsky's Pathétique as a “shallow, superficial,

74 Ibid, 56475 Kraus, The Nineteenth-Century Symphony, 323


distressingly homophonic work.”76 Despite these irreconcilable

differences, the three symphonies share much in common. The

symphonies of the Viennese tradition have striking similarities

with Tchaikovsky's: Tchaikovsky aspired to retain the form and

melodic beauty of Classicism (as did Mozart) while allowing his

last symphony to be defined by extra-musical influences (as did

Mahler.) The three symphonies additionally all incorporate dance

forms and end with movements that serve as dramatic climaxes.

Perhaps the most evident connection between these three

works is that all retain references to Classical forms.

Obviously the expectations of the Classical period are met by

Mozart's Jupiter: it contains sonata-allegro forms in the first,

second, and fourth movements and a minuet and trio in the third.

The first and second movements contrast in character; the last

movement represents a dramatic culmination and a synopsis of the

previous three; the third gives a light-hearted respite from the

seriousness surrounding it.

76 Peter A. Brown, The Second Golden Age of the Viennese Symphony: Brahms, Bruckner, Dvorak, Mahler, and Selected Contemporaries, vol. 4 of The Symphonic Repertoire. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008): 593.


Tchaikovsky adheres to prescribed form in his first

movement. The slow introduction, contrasting primary and

secondary themes, and manipulation of motivic material (in

episodes and in the development) are trademarks of a traditional

sonata-allegro form. These trademarks occur despite the

imbalanced exposition and development rendered by the narrative.

The magnitude of the first movement of Mahler's third

symphony does not suggest adherence to classical form. William

Marvin suggests, however, that this movement represents a

dismantling of sonata form.77 Though the tonal movement from D

minor to F major defies the tonal plan of a sonata form, Marvin

argues that the recapitulation of the exposition material in its

intended key (F major) makes our understanding of sonata form

possible. This minor to major movement can be seen as an example

of the “redemption paradigm” (as in Beethoven's fifth symphony).

It also implies continuity between movements: the end of the

first movement in the mediant demands resolution later in the

77 William Marvin, “Mahler's Third Symphony and the Dismantling of Sonata Form” in Keys to the Drama: Nine Perspectives on Sonata Form, ed. Gordon Sly (Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Group, 2009), 53-65. All following information in this paragraph is taken from this source.


symphony. Mahler's first movement can be seen as a sonata form

with a double exposition (typical of Classical concerti) and

elements of rotational form. P and S are of contrasting

characters. Despite the deformation of harmonic expectations,

the rhetorical purpose of the parts of sonata form is retained.

Additionally, the simplicity, symmetry, and character of the

second movement look back to the character – if not the form – of

the classical symphony’s second movement.

Mahler and Tchaikovsky look back to the Classical period in

elements of their musical language. Mahler's use of irony and

humor represents an “internalization of the Romantic conception

of Classical style.”78 Tchaikovsky's focus on melody and

simplicity speaks to his attachment to the Viennese school.

Ironically, while Tchaikovsky and Mahler might be said to look

back to Classicism, Mozart is influenced by music of his own

past.79 His interest in earlier music involved study of Viennese

78 Peter Franklin, “A stranger's story : programmes, politics and Mahler's Third Symphony” in The Mahler Companion, ed. Donald Mitchell and Andrew Nicholson (Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999): 174.

79 Peter Brown, “Eighteenth-Century Traditions and Mozart's 'Jupiter' SymphonyK.551.” The Journal of Musicology Vol, 20, No.2 (2003), 161-187. All information about Mozart in the following paragraph is taken from this source.


church music, old Imperial music, and North German Baroque music.

The first movement of Jupiter capitalizes on the ideas of the

solemn, celebratory music of the Imperial tradition. The second

movement looks back to dance music like Bach's keyboard suites.

The finale draws from elements of church music (Brown argues that

some of the themes may be derived from chant) and, arguably, of

the Baroque era (fugue). Comparably, then, all three symphonies

contain an element of retrospection in their musical language

while retaining their unique and contemporary stylistic elements.

All three symphonies are, by various degrees, influenced by

extra-musical material. The extent to which extra-musical

material affects form, themes, or character varies considerably.

Obviously, a program does not explicitly exist for Mozart's Jupiter

Symphony; however, many scholars have considered Jupiter to include

references to Masonic imagery and symbolism. Ian Woodfield

suggests that the themes from Mozart's finale are taken from the

aria “Father of Heaven” from Handel's oratorio Judas Maccabeus.80

80 Ian Woodfield, “Mozart's 'Jupiter': a symphony of light?” The Musical Times (2006), 25-46. All information in the following paragraph is taken from this source.


The text of this aria expounds on the providence of God and the

rites that his people perform on earth. The text would have been

spoken during the Feast of Lights, connecting it to light-imagery

prevalent in the Masonic tradition. Woodfield also examines the

three-note “knocking” rhythm, the use of counterpoint to signify

brotherhood and harmony, and the idea of apotheosis (transition

from darkness into light).

The association of the Pathétique with a program, by

comparison, is irrefutable. Though Tchaikovsky refrained from

defining a particular program, one is known to exist. The theme

of death is obvious; whatever the mysterious program might be, it

clearly influences Tchaikovsky in his unconventional choice of

movement types and especially in the slow finale.

In contrast, Mahler claims that “no programme will lead to

an understanding of this work, nor any other symphony . . . each

movement is organic in itself, and completely accessible to

anyone who is responsive to subtle humor.”81 However, his

references to Nietzsche, previously composed songs, and folk

81 Franklin, The Mahler Companion, 173.


elements suggest associations with their extra-musical

connotations. The first movement depicts nature and may speak

concerning the social implications of an animalistic humanity;

the finale retains the idea of apotheosis, similar to Jupiter.

Though so many influences appears to render the narrative

incoherent, Peter Franklin summarizes Mahler's association with

program in this way: “The detailed clarity of its meaning was,

for more than technical reasons, 'inexpressible in words.' In

throwing away the crutches of naïve programmes we lay claim

precisely to the self-questioning, vulnerable self-wrought

richness of Mahler's music as meaningful discourse.”82

One of the most striking differences between Tchaikovsky's

Pathétique and the two other symphonies is their respective final

movements. These, however different, function similarly in their

“wrap up” of the dramatic projection of their respective work.

The Pathétique ends with a slow movement and at a quadruple-piano

dynamic level. Whether interpreted as a resignation to fate or a

submission to death, this final movement’s simplicity balances

82 Franklin, The Mahler Companion, 186.


the first movement’s complexity and the third movement’s triumph.

Mozart's Jupiter ends with a sublime sonata-allegro form that

serves as the climax of the work. Simon Keefe attributes this

movement’s climactic function to the use of dialogue in its fugal

elements .83 The conciseness of the dialogue, the equal

participation of all instruments in the dialogue, and the

increasing complexity of the dialogue contribute to the finale's

dramatic intensity.

The last movement of Mahler's symphony signifies a

resolution at the end of a tumultuous narrative (“What love means

to me”). It is similar to Tchaikovsky's symphony in that it is a

slow movement. However, the grandeur of movement’s conclusion is

unmistakably a proclamation of victory and overcoming obstacles.

This “redemption paradigm” is in stark contrast to the

Pathétique.

A final comparison can be made between the three symphonies

in their references to dance forms. The classical symphony's

83 Simon Keefe, “The 'Jupiter' Symphony in C, K.551: New Perspective on the Dramatic Finale and its Stylistic Significance in Mozart's Orchestral Oeuvre.” Acta Musicologica 75 (2003): 17-43. All information about Mozart in the following paragraph is taken from this source.


prescription of a minuet and trio is obviously adhered to by

Mozart in Jupiter's third movement. The choices that Tchaikovsky

and Mahler make are less conventional. Tchaikovsky's second

movement is a waltz in 5/4; this unorthodox rhythm may be a

reference to Russian folk music, but despite its irregularity the

dance connotation remains. Mahler's second movement combines

elements of a minuet and a scherzo; its third movement, while in

free form, parodies both the gigue and the polka.84

Additionally, the minuet of the second movement marks Mahler's

strong ties to the classical symphony and its forms.

In conclusion, as a member of the Southern Indiana

Sinfonietta, it is my hope that this presentation has capitalized

on the importance of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony and its

necessity in being performed. The Pathétique’s particularly

poignant narrative speaks to his own passions and apprehensions

about life and death, themes that resonate with contemporary

audiences as they did in the nineteenth century. The comparison

of Tchaikovsky’s symphony to others by Mozart and Mahler

84 Brown, The Symphonic Repertoire, 599-604. All information about Mahler in the following paragraph is taken from this source.


emphasizes the differences between peripheral composers and the

mainstream Viennese school. In contrast, the common threads

between the three speak volumes for a shared symphonic tradition.

Thank you again for your support of this tradition and the

continued work of this symphony orchestra.

Bibliography: Biographical Information

Brown, David. Tchaikovsky, a Biographical and Critical Study. Vol. 4. Londong: V. Gollancz, 1978.

Burr, Ralph C. Jr. and Alexander Poznansky. “Tchaikovsky's Suicide: Myth and Reality.” 19th Century Music 11, no. 3 (1988): 199-220.

Orlova, Alexandra. Tchaikovsky: A Self-Portrait. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Poznansky, Alexander. The Tchaikovsky Handbook: A Guide to the Man and His Music. 2 vols. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2002.

------. Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man. New York: Schirmer Books, 1991.

Taruskin, Richard. "Nationalism." Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article

(accessed September 4, 2012).


“Tchaikovsky and His Contemporaries: A Centennial Symposium.” Papers read at the conference held at Hofstra University,

October 7-9, 1993. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1999.

Wiley, Roland John. "Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il′yich." Grove Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber (accessed

September 4, 2012).

Bibliography: Analysis

Abraham, Gerald E.H. “The Elements of Russian Music.” Music and Letters 9, no. 1 (1928): 51-58.

Abraham, Gerald, ed. The Music of Tchaikovsky. New York: W.W. Norton &Company, 1946.

Brown, Peter A. “Eighteenth-Century Traditions and Mozart's 'Jupiter' Symphony K.551.” The

Journal of Musicology Vol. 20, No.2 (2003): 161-187.

--------. The European Symphony from ca. 1800 to ca. 1930: Great Britain, Russian, and France. Vol. 3, Part B of The Symphonic Repertoire. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008.

--------. The Second Golden Age of the Viennese Symphony: Brahms, Bruckner, Dvorak,

Mahler, and Selected Contemporaries. Vol. 4 of The Symphonic Repertoire.

Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008.

Franklin, Peter. “A Stranger's Story: Programmes, Politics and Mahler's Third Symphony.” In

The Mahler Companion, ed. Donald Mitchell and Andrew Nicholson, 171-186. Oxford,

New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.


Jackson, Timothy L. “Aspects of Sexuality and Structure in the Later Symphonies of Tchaikovsky.” Music Analysis 14, no. 1 (1995): 3-25.

Keefe, Simon. “The 'Jupiter' Symphony in C, K.551: New Perspective on the Dramatic Finale

and its Stylistic Significance in Mozart's Orchestral Oeuvre.” Acta Musicologica 75

(2003): 17-43

Kimmel, William. “The Phrygian Infliction and the Appearances ofDeath in Music.” College Music Symposium 20, no. 2 (1980): 42-76.

Kraus, Joseph C. “Tchaikovsky.” In The Nineteenth Century Symphony, ed. D. Kern Holoman,

299-326. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.

Marvin, William. “Mahler's Third Symphony and the Dismantling of Sonata Form.” In Keys to

the Drama: Nine Perspectives on Sonata Form, ed. Gordon Sly, 53-65. Farnham, Surrey:

Ashgate Publishing Group, 2009.

Westrup, J.A. “Tchaikovsky and the Symphony.” The Musical Times 81 (1940): 249-252.

Woodfield, Ian. “Mozart's 'Jupiter': A Symphony of light?” The Musical Times (2006): 25-46.

Zajaczkowski, Henry. “Not to Be Born Were Best.... Henry Zajaczkowski Proposes a Secret Programme for Tchaikovsky's Pathétique .” The Musical Times 134 (1993): 561-566.

--------. Tchaikovsky's Musical Style. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press,1987.

Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony: Context and Comparison

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