1888 – Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 (e minor)

Question 1

1st Movement
1888 – Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 (e minor)

Answer 1

• Expanded sonata form with a profusion of themes introduced in the exposition.
• Slow introduction, E minor first subject is introduced gently on clarinets and strings.
• Music gets increasingly impassionate before moving to the dominant for the first of several second subject ideas.
• The expansion of second subject is an important feature of Romantic sonata form. This often means presenting a more lyrical and contrasting set of second subject ideas.
• The movement ends in a gloomy E minor, repeating the first subject idea in increasingly darker orchestrations. It almost feels like the music is wading into thick mud under which it eventually sinks.

Question 2

3rd Movement
1888 – Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 (e minor)

Answer 2

• Tchaikovsky replaces the minuet/scherzo movement with a Waltz, part of a picture of more varied dance styles in Romantic third movements.
• The orchestral textures are incredibly varied.