Dvorak- Symphony No. 6 in D Major, op. 60 Part IV
The fourth and final movement of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 6.
IV. Finale- Allegro con spirito
Sonata form
Theme one is introduced immediately in the violins and repeated by the winds. Flurried ascending and descending figures in the strings characterize a transition supported by a timpani and upward-sequencing descents in the bass line before the orchestral statement of the theme begins at 0:40. The orchestral statement is triumphant and is accompanied by a wonderful drum and bugle corps that gives it a martial quality. Three-note ascents in the orchestra resolve to loud brass and timpani chords and string descents (1:03). Quiet string leaps and descents lead to theme two.
Theme two (1:12) is not lyric like the traditional second theme is supposed to be, but instead is light and bounces along with its triplet-based rhythm. The theme alternates between the winds and strings before the first descending motive of the theme begins to repeat. At 1:33 a long, fast descent based on this motive is played by the violins, resolving to a series of cadence chords. The string and wind descents are repeated as well as the cadence before a theme-two based transition begins in the horns (1:58). The horn phrase is echoed by the strings and then by the entire orchestra. Syncopated strings play off of a square brass rhythm (2:15) before a series of tuttis launch an orchestral theme two.
After the initial phrase of theme two, a rude interruption by the brass and timpani momentarily changes the mood (2:27), leading to a series of theme two descending motives in the strings interspersed with staccato, rising brass notes. A rapid, quiet string descent ends the exhibition.
The development begins with theme two motives played lightly in the strings and a wind figure at 2:39. Theme two motives grow and are played in different sections of the orchestra, growing in volume and urgency. After a grand pause at 2:58, a rather blunt wind call heralds the return of dark, powerful theme one motives in the strings and finished off by the brass. These sequence upwards before a brief reappearance of theme two (3:07) before wind sustains and descending wind string arpeggios cover a softly rumbling timpani. Theme two motives make another appearance in the cellos, decorated with a shrill descent and ascent in the violins. They are cut off with the horns playing a series of perfect fourths (3:23), soon echoed and sequenced upwards by the strings (the perfect fourth is a clear reference to the interval heard at the beginning of the symphony). Theme two motives sound first in the bass (3:39) before moving to the strings and winds.
A series of powerful brass descents (3:57) under string tremolos lead to a minor version of theme one that soon dissolves into a quaint oboe and flute duet playing theme one. The horn soon joins in and the three play curious rising and falling triplets before four-note descents (themselves from the first measure of theme one) in the upper strings are answered by the same figure in the low strings. After these four note descents are extended, the flute plays four-note ascents along with clarinet flourishes (4:37) and forte hits in the timpani. Rapid descents from the low strings are answered by the upper strings before a series of forceful tuttis from the orchestra rise and are capped with a brass fanfare. Theme two-inspired descents resolve to a rather dark fragment of theme one (5:06) ending with a forceful 3-note descent.
The transition to the recapitulation starts with theme one descents in the strings followed by a rolling flute melody. At 5:33 the recapitulation begins with theme one. The second phrase is not played as it was in the exposition, but is interrupted by a steady ascent in the winds (5:58). Syncopated accents in the brass and timpani steal the stage from the strings, who remain playing theme one motives. A series of three-note ascents in the strings ends the transition and brings us to the recapitulation of theme two at 6:24. String descents play over quick horn rhythms before the cadence at 6:47. Theme two repeats in the winds and strings followed by another cadence which ends the recapitulation and begins the transition to the coda (7:10).
The coda transition starts with a figure loosely based on theme one in the horns, soon repeated by the brass and strings. A series of rising and falling string scales (7:22) lead to a brass ascent and a deviously tricky set of descending string figures (7:33). These string descents end the transition and the cellos play rapid theme one motives occasionally highlighted with light orchestral chords to begin the coda. These rapid figures shift to the viola and then to the violins. The orchestral accents gather strength at 8:00 before the strings decide they’ve had enough and end their exhausting section of sixteenth notes (8:09). Theme one descents in the strings and brass are followed two brass fanfares beginning at 8:17 with a large timpani hit on the tail end. The descents become more pronounced as the entire orchestra joins in.
Theme one motives are played over a rising brass line (8:38) as upward sequencing string motives resolve to stepwise descents. Downward sequencing string motives precede a brass statement of the opening bars of theme one (9:00). The opening descent of theme one is then inverted, and the resulting ascents are played rapidly in the entire orchestra before tutti orchestral chords and a timpani roll end the symphony.
Often compared with Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major, op. 73, Dvorak’s 6th Symphony is a lighthearted but stunningly beautiful work with his trademark clarity of form and memorable melodies.
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If you are interested in listening to a recording, I recommend Witold Rowicki’s 1996 recording with the London Symphony Orchestra on Philips. You can buy this recording from Amazon by clicking on the image below. Unfortunately this is not available in iTunes, so as a suitable alternative I’ve linked to Sir Colin Davis and the LSO’s 2005 recording.
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