Shostakovich- Symphony No. 9 in E-flat Major, op. 70 Part IV
The fifth and final movement of Shostakovich’s 9th symphony.
V. Allegretto- Allegro
Weird hybrid of Sonata, Theme and variation, and Rondo forms
The final movement opens with a sly, sneaky bassoon solo that rises and falls, each time plateauing with a series of slow trill-like motives. Accompaniment is sparse, consisting of quiet but heavy string chords. The violins play a series of two-note figures before they take up theme one at 0:31. An oboe interlude based off of theme one motives (0:55) is followed by various combinations of winds playing over quiet clarinet trills. A toy-like march version of theme one in the winds with the triangle and steady accompaniment (1:42) from the winds and pizzicato strings leads to theme two in the strings at 2:06.
Theme two is mildly reminiscent of the piccolo solo in the first movement. First heard in the violins, it is in minor and sounds very apprehensive. The low strings play quick ascents underneath. At 2:28 a leap from the strings precedes a brief drum and bugle corps before the entire string section plays theme two (2:39). The low strings play theme one (2:46) underneath theme two in the winds. This section is repeated before theme one motives gain momentum in the low strings along with ominously repeating horn notes. Theme two in the upper strings (3:46) begin to repeat before a series of repeated, rising eighth notes lead to a series of rapid theme one motives in the winds (3:59). Rapidly repeating pizzicato notes from the strings accompany sharp flute runs before frantically rising and falling strings contrast with heavy brass and low string chords (4:08). The string figures begin to slow as the brass continue to play loud chords before a downward-sequencing eighth/sixteenth note figure in the trumpets (4:41) resolves to what sounds like a circus- tambourines and tutti rhythms in the strings and winds undercut any importance that the melody- played jauntily by the brass- may have had.
Theme two returns at 5:08 in the winds with bubbly ascents in the trumpets, snare drum, and loud brass chords on the first beat. Theme two sequences upwards in two proceeding statements before theme one returns in the strings scurrying up and down amidst the tinny notes of the triangle (5:39). Subsequent theme one episodes and motives are played faster and faster. Rapid ascents are capped with brass chords (6:09) and answered by wind descents. The pattern of ascents and descents is passed throughout the orchestra before the brass ends the chaos and the symphony with two forte chords.
Curious in the 9th Symphony is the apparent lack of a climactic moment in any of its movements. You can make an argument for several places which are climactic relative to the content of the rest of the movement and perhaps the symphony, but there is nothing like the triumphant moments in the 5th symphony or in any normal sense of the word.
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If you are interested in listening to a recording, I recommend Valery Gergiev’s 2004 release with the Kirov Orchestra on Philips. You can buy this recording from Amazon by clicking on the image below. Alternatively, you can purchase this recording from the iTunes Music Store often at a reduced price by following the link below.
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