Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5
Notes by TŌN cellist Shawn Thoma
The second half of Tchaikovsky’s symphonic output shows the value of a vulnerable storyteller. There’s an essence that pervades these works from the very beginning, setting a particular mood that surrounds and defines each symphony. The feeling is conveyed with more than just a compositional device; the idea of an inevitable return to something seems to serve as the foundation for the worlds Tchaikovsky builds in his late symphonies, creating a sense of familiarity and transformation that lingers long after the music fades.
The Fifth Symphony stands apart in character from its neighbors. Where the Fourth drives forward with its relentless, fateful fanfare theme, and the Sixth sinks into an overwhelming sense of resignation, the Fifth explores a transformation of fate that ultimately reaches triumph. Similar to how Tchaikovsky directly quotes the opening of his Fourth Symphony in its Finale, he begins the Finale of the Fifth Symphony with a restatement of its opening theme—now in a glorious maestoso orchestration, giving it a newfound sense of grandeur and resolve.
The piece begins with the theme introduced by the clarinets, which returns in various forms across each movement, creating a lingering sense of familiarity. A livelier melody takes shape transforming the solemn, march-like idea into an energetic Allegro. The slow second movement features one of Tchaikovsky’s greatest melodies, introduced by the horn, its warmth and lyricism twice interrupted by an impassioned outburst of the central theme. The third movement waltz contains all the charm and grace of his ballet scores, offering a moment of lightness before subtly hinting at the theme once more. The Finale transforms the once-dark fate theme into a triumphant, commanding major-key march, bringing the symphony to a powerful and cathartic conclusion.