Tchaikovsky, Symphony No 6 "Pathétique" - 4th Mov

By 1893, the year of the composition and premiere of his sixth and last Symphony, it had been three years since Tchaikovsky had received the painful letter from Frau von Meck announcing the severance of their epistolary relations. By the way, it was the end of the generous pension with which she had assisted him for thirteen long years without asking for anything in return. It was a severe emotional blow, but he had already recovered. A successful tour of the USA in 1891 confirmed the maestro as a musical personality at the height of celebrity. But also, perhaps, at the peak of his creative capacity. A "great symphony" had to be composed, and it was now.

A symphony with a program

True to his severe sense of self-criticism, the master discarded several drafts (and more than that) during 1892. The following year, in a letter of February 22nd to his nephew Vladimir (recurrent addressee) he tells him of his frustrated attempts but, also, that he has almost finished a "program symphony" (which he would dedicate to Vladimir):

"You must know that I have destroyed an almost complete symphony... Going to Paris... I had the idea of another program symphony... The program is saturated with personal experiences, so much so that even while I was mentally composing it during the trip I cried a lot [...] You cannot imagine the happiness I experience when I see that for me inspiration has not yet ended and that I am still capable of doing something..."

The inspiration was not over, of course not. The "program symphony" was written between February and August 1893, and successfully premiered with the maestro conducting on October 28 of that year, in St. Petersburg.

Tchaikovsky, the year of his death
(1840 - 1893, Nov 6)

"Pathetic" Symphony
After the warm reception, Tchaikovsky was not satisfied with his previously cherished title of "program symphony". He discussed it with his brother Modest, who suggested as a subtitle the Russian word "pateticheski", which has little to do with our prosaic sense of "pathetic" (mournful, pitiful), but in Russian points rather to that which moves, that which touches.

Pyotr Ilyich was grateful for Modest's suggestion and instructed his publisher to change it. But within a few days he changed his mind, asking that it be titled simply Symphony No. 6. The following week, Tchaikovsky was dead. The publisher, somewhat confused perhaps, subtitled the work so that everyone would understand: "Symphonie Pathétique", in French. This is how it is known to this day.

Movements

Symphony No. 6 in B minor is in four movements, arranged in a singular sequence. It begins with an adagio; and where traditionally goes the slow movement the master decided for a singular "waltz" in 5/4 time signature; instead of the scherzo (third movement) Tchaikovsky wrote a graceful march; and as fourth and final movement, he arranged an adagio of a somewhat funereal character, a decision that has lent to speculate that with it the master would have written his own Requiem.

Mov. 4 Adagio lamentoso - andante

The listening of the complete work lasts about fifty minutes. Presented here is the fourth movement in a performance by the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, conducted by the Russian maestro Yuri Temirkanov.

Tchaikovsky held the work in high esteem. He was not alone. One biographer has noted of this last movement: "If Tchaikovsky had written only these last twenty-five bars, it would be enough to make him one of the greatest composers of our time".