Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: IV. Finale (Score and Analysis)

Описание: "If you cannot find reasons for joy within yourself, look at others. Go among the people. See how they can revel, surrendering themselves entirely to the feeling of joy. A scene of festive folk celebration. As soon as you forget yourself and become immersed in the sight of others' happiness, the relentless fate returns and reminds you of its presence. But others do not care. They do not even turn to look at you or notice your loneliness and sorrow. Oh, how joyful they are! How happy they are, for all their emotions are direct and simple. Blame yourself, and do not say that everything in the world is sad. There are simple yet powerful joys. Rejoice in the joy of others. It is still possible to live."
— P. Tchaikovsky

00:00 The finale is written in the form of a free rondo with variation cycles in its episodes. The theme in F major, which opens the finale, serves as the refrain of the rondo. It immediately immerses the listener in the atmosphere of a folk festival. This image is energetic, full of power and vigor. The first thematic element has a generalized character, creating an overall celebratory mood.
00:13 The theme of the folk song "In the Field Stood a Birch Tree" (A minor) serves as the foundation for the variations in the rondo's episodes. It helps to clarify the images of folk festivity and later acts as a means of revealing the lyrical-dramatic image of the symphony’s "hero."
00:44 A second thematic element of the refrain appears—more concrete in its genre-musical characteristics. It is based on distinct dance rhythms, and its intonational structure suggests a close connection to folk dance songs. Played tutti fortissimo, the theme exudes heroic strength and boundless energy. This image, contrasted with both the "Damocles' sword" motif and the restless personality motif, remains steady until the very end. The force of the people’s spirit, alongside the force of fate, stands as one of the two fundamental objective powers to which the lyrical hero’s soul might attach itself. Yet, the escape from fate into the people cannot be painless—toward the end of the second thematic element, the theme undergoes gradual intensification, symbolizing the conflict between the individual and the collective. At its peak, threatening ostinato motifs of lamentation emerge in a dotted rhythmic pattern, clearly recalling crying motifs from the first movement.

01:32 Developing the theme of the lyrical hero’s clash with the collective force, Tchaikovsky introduces a round dance folk melody. However, it is strikingly similar intonationally to many of Tchaikovsky’s lyrical, suffering themes—its diatonic nature, overall descending in motion, and abundance of crying motifs reinforce this impression. The effect is heightened by the introduction of anapestic rhythms from the first movement. Initially, this theme appears somewhat deceptively; its A minor tonality is initially masked by C major, influenced by the refrain’s dominant pedal point. However, in the variation episodes that follow, the theme takes on a distinctly minor quality, revealing its deeper tragic nature. The first four variations (in B-flat minor) progress from gentle elegy to a stormy, threatening surge. In the whirling accompaniment of the strings and woodwinds, a figure from the second element of the refrain theme reappears. The fifth variation introduces a scherzo-like contrast, followed by a rapid sonata-style development, in which the refrain forcefully intervenes.

03:07 The refrain returns in a manner like its previous appearances.

03:56 A new D minor variation episode opens with several calm variations, including one major and one scherzo-like variant. However, this serene idyll is short-lived—soon, the movement gains immense momentum. The previously abandoned development section reignites, culminating in a fateful canon in heavy brass. At a certain moment, various orchestral groups “ostinize” their parts, signaling the approach of the final climax.

05:23 "As soon as you forget yourself and become immersed in the sight of others' happiness, the relentless fate returns and reminds you of its presence."

06:40 Yet, the coda (the final presentation of the refrain) ultimately resolves this contradiction. After a sorrowful instrumental recitative and a long pause, a joyful dance melody emerges from the refrain, as if from a distance. It swells and grows, and soon, the mighty wave of collective life sweeps away the ominous fate, affirming a temporary victory of light over darkness. The coda of the finale is crafted with exceptional brilliance, achieving a level of true orchestral virtuosity. Lightness and agility are combined with grandeur, strength, and momentum. The birch tree theme is no longer opposed to the refrain nor isolated from it—it is now fully integrated into the wave of all-human festivity. The conflict from the first movement is not resolved at its root, but it is set aside, postponed for later. " It is still possible to live."