My generation rarely likes classical music. More specifically, my friends most often do not like classical music. Today, it is extremely rare to meet a person who is in his 25 keen on classical music. Mostly, people do not know how to interpret it on their own. No one said them how to do that when they were kids. When they get more adult, they start believing that classical music is real boredom. Having no musical training, we pay attention to only the first impression of the music, and for spoiled with popular culture, classical music seems very boring. But it is great that now there are a lot of different music programs and books that help to interpret pieces of music – one need only to know where to find them. I succeeded in this, and further with their help will tell about my favorite symphony – Tchaikovsky`s Symphony №6. Many researchers wrote much about it, its interpretation is present almost everywhere, which makes my assignment much easier.
The second title of the 6th symphony is "Pathetique", alluding to the fact that a theme of life and death will be contrasted in the Symphony. In my opinion, a symphony is the highest form of instrumental music, "world picture" painted through the prism of the musician, and the "Pathetique" Symphony is a real autobiography of Tchaikovsky. This Symphony, this autobiography has not similar eloquent memories about the composer. This can be heard from this musical peace by anyone capable to perceive it properly.
I believe that the music and abstract art are very similar in the way people perceive them. Questions arise: “Why all of a sudden without any words once a person hears a melody, he becomes happy, or, conversely, sad?”, “What is there in the human soul that is able to respond to wordless and formless image through emotions?”, “Why can the music change human mood?”
I do not know universal answers to these questions, but I will be able to tell a story that is behind the sounds of the "Pathetique" Symphony, a story that will, hopefully, make the heart flutter. In the paper, I will try to clothe wordless musical form into words. Once when I was getting acquainted with Tchaikovsky, with his music, I was told that it was not necessary to listen to all the passages of the Symphony. I was told that it would be enough to skip to the fourth part to understand the Symphony completely. However, I did not do that and listened to the complete 6th Symphony, of which I do not regret at all. I would recommend anyone to listen it from the beginning and to think over the ideas revolving around every note and musical passage of the Symphony
Before Pyotr Tchaikovsky started composing the Sixth Symphony, he had a deep understanding of death, and he put all his horror and fear of death into this Symphony. As Jeremy Siepmann wrote, the "Pathetique" Symphony was the delay of Tchaikovsky from his death. When composing this Symphony, Tchaikovsky already knew that he would die as soon as the musical piece is finished. In the world of music, there are two most popular works that were written by composers who knew about their subsequent death. They are the "Requiem" by Mozart and the 6th Symphony by Tchaikovsky (which, of course, could be planned as akin to "Requiem").
"Pathetic" Symphony begins with a fearsome, probably the most fearsome entry in the history of music, which is not surprising, since Tchaikovsky based his music on a Russian funeral chant. However, the first part of the Symphony describes life (some authors conclude that Tchaikovsky described the childhood and his first creative steps as a musician). Although the first part starts very sadly, composer reiterates that life is diverse, and we can hear joyful music, and lyricism, and suffering, everything. A fearsome introduction, and the diversity of life – these are just a couple of episodes before main theme of the Symphony. In my opinion, if Tchaikovsky had been going to live on after this symphony, the entry would have been written differently. On the contrary, we have all impulses replaced by despair. Drumbeat after the silence at 8:55 scares me – scares with a fatal inevitability.
The first part is composed in allegro non troppo. From the gloomy depths of the introduction to the Symphony, grief motive grows. An important role belongs to basses in this chromatic motive; on the opposite to which we can hear a bassoon sounding in a dark lower register. With an offset of a tempo, the main section of the symphony begins. Here the motive of musical entry is moved to the upper register, sounds in a different instrumentation, and appears at an accelerated pace.
The second part is a waltz. Waltz, which could suit, for example, a "Nutcracker", if there was no one peculiarity of this waltz. There is no one common lobe in this waltz, which sounds not as familiar for us waltz. The music of this part is full of joy and ease, this piece embodies youth, joy of life, fun carefree. However, the unusual nature of the waltz does not allow us to forget about the impending fate, and easy waltz turns into a waltz of death. This part sharply contrasts with the previous part. Beauty and a charm of a young life are contrasted with fate, the inevitability, and the horror of death. The melody of the Waltz is graceful, elegant, and sometimes even flirtatious.
The third part of Tchaikovsky`s 6th Symphony tells us about the development as a musician, about the struggle of life on the road to fame and glory. Having analyzed outside sources, I concluded that most has been written about this part. What is more, authors still cannot find one common agreement, whether this part is a triumph of life or a triumph of death. The musical theme is repeated over and over again; Tchaikovsky brings it almost to madness. It is impossible to stay impartial when listening to this part. I always want to catch a breath and get away to breathe. For me, this part is of the tragic nature, as if the composer says: "I have achieved fame and immortality in the music, but, nevertheless, I still know that I will physically die, and I am very scared". Nature always wins even those who seemingly immortalized themselves with their genius, but the musical theme sounds and repeated, as long as the nerves can withstand this rapid, vigorous intensity. The third part is Allegro molto vivace. Emotional respite is over. In the third part, I could feel the breath of life itself, with its elemental force.
And finally, there is the final of the Symphony. As for me, this is the greatest piece of music ever created by man. The final is a look from another world, it is about a life that suddenly faded away. This music is comprehension of the mysteries of life and death. I think that it is impossible to understand this part at an early age, because to understand it, the experience of life, love and loss are needed.
Contrary everything, the Symphony ends with slowly mourning, funeral music. Initially Tchaikovsky wanted to finish the Symphony with a funeral march, but, in the end, he found that the comparison of the two marches (the first – in the previous section) would be perceived as an artistic miscalculation. As a result, he composed a final in the character of the final sorrowful monologue-requiem. There emerges a parallel with “Lacrimosa” from Mozart's Requiem. The main theme of this part is absolutely striking: it starts with almost the same theme as the adverse party in the first part. It begins with the same sounds, it moves in the same interval. But this movement seems to be not over, it seems like a master has no further strengths. The main theme droops tragically. Gradually, the sound fades away and wears out. Life cycle is completed, and everything is getting dissolved into nothingness.
Tchaikovsky died nine days after the premiere of this Symphony. There are many discussions about the cause of his death: some consider it to be a suicide, others – an accident. Whatever it was, Tchaikovsky's last musical work is the most autobiographical of all of his works. For me, it is the best musical piece of this composer. In it, Tchaikovsky ingeniously demonstrates using musical notes longing for the life that is about to fade away.
Finally, I will try to explain why it is so important to know and understand this Symphony and other musical works similar to it. This is needed not to get depressed with thoughts of hopelessness. The finiteness of life is the greatest gift for a human being; it is a driving force of everything that is happening on planet Earth. Just being aware of the limited time, people are capable of great things. Tchaikovsky`s Symphony No.6 largely provides a chance to feel the knowledge about death – this primal fear – so that we could think about how to make our life not over before we plan to accomplish something worthwhile.
About sources used
Jackson, Timothy. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
This book is mostly devoted to Tchaikovsky`s Symphony № 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 "Pathetique", the last Symphony by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. From the book, apart from the fact that its name was offered by composer`s brother Modest, I also got to know many interesting facts that were later used in the paper. I also derived musical description of all 4 parts of the Symphony, which was rather useful for the complete understanding this musical piece.
Schroeder, David. Experiencing Tchaikovsky : a listener's companion. London : Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
Siepmann, Jeremy. Tchaikovsky: his life & music. Naperville, Il: Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2008.
This book was quite important for me to understand composer`s motives and ideas of the Symphony. This book reveled to me secrets that came alongside with the story of creation of the 6th Symphony.
Bibliography
Jackson, Timothy. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Schroeder, David. Experiencing Tchaikovsky : a listener's companion. London : Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
Siepmann, Jeremy. Tchaikovsky: his life & music. Naperville, Il: Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2008.
