Symphony No. 6 in B Minor,
Op. 74, "Pathétique"
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

THE STORY

     Tchaikovsky put his soul into his final symphony—and there it remains. He died just nine days after leading the premiere of his Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique,” in 1893 in St. Petersburg; the second performance took place at his memorial concert.
     As Schumann had with his Symphony No. 4, Tchaikovsky defied expectations with the “Pathétique”—rather than offering one of the triumphant finales that he was known for, the final movement descends into complete despair. (Soviet orchestras often made the decision to switch the order of the last two movements in order to give the symphony the requisite “happy ending.”)
     Although Tchaikovsky’s death was the result of drinking unboiled water during a cholera outbreak, the timing combined with the tragic mood of this symphony led to speculation. The Symphony No. 6 was viewed as a musical suicide note, and because Tchaikovsky was gay, it was further interpreted that his anxiety about his sexuality must have driven him to take his life. (In fact, Tchaikovsky was working on a seventh symphony, and letters to friends and family from the time reveal that he was making plans for the future, rendering the suicide theory unlikely.)
     Somewhat ironically, the symphony’s tragic ending, which became equated with his death, was actually what had given him new life, creatively. Tchaikovsky had torn up a previous symphony, declaring that there was “nothing interesting” in it—but by following an unexpected direction with the “Pathétique,” he found a renewed sense of innovation. He wrote to his nephew, “You can’t imagine how blissful I feel in the conviction that my time is not yet passed, and that to work is still possible,” and he shared with his brother that he felt his Sixth Symphony was one of his best compositions.

LISTEN FOR

• The low, quiet bassoon melody that opens the symphony

• The “limping waltz” of the second movement—in 5/4 rather than 3/4 (the standard meter for a waltz), giving the impression that the waltz is “missing a beat”

• Hollow, almost artificial-sounding triumph in the third movement—as if simply going through the motions of being happy

• The gong that opens the funeral-like chorale of the trombones and tuba, and the conclusion of the work in utter tragedy

INSTRUMENTATION

Three flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, strings