Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony

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Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony is a deeply emotional and dramatic late-Romantic symphony renowned for its tragic intensity and innovative, somber finale.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf late-Romantic composition
symphony
alsoKnownAs Pathétique Symphony NERFINISHED
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 NERFINISHED
approximateDuration about 45 minutes
associatedWith themes of fate and despair
catalogueStatus Tchaikovsky’s last completed symphony
character deeply emotional
dramatic
tragic
closingFeature ends quietly and darkly in B minor
composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky NERFINISHED
compositionYear 1893
dedicatedTo Vladimir Davydov NERFINISHED
emotionalTone melancholic
tragic intensity
follows Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 NERFINISHED
formalInnovation finale is slow and tragic instead of triumphant
genre programmatic-leaning absolute music
historicalReputation central work in the orchestral repertoire
one of the most famous symphonies of the Romantic era
influencedBy Russian symphonic tradition
Western European Romantic symphony
key B minor
languageOfTitle French
movement I. Adagio – Allegro non troppo NERFINISHED
II. Allegro con grazia
III. Allegro molto vivace
IV. Finale: Adagio lamentoso – Andante NERFINISHED
movementCount 4
notableFeature innovative slow, somber finale
notableInstrumentation expressive use of brass choir
lyrical woodwind solos
prominent use of bassoons and low strings
numberInSeries 6
opusNumber Op. 74
orchestration full Romantic orchestra
period Romantic era NERFINISHED
premiereConductor Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky NERFINISHED
premiereCountry Russian Empire NERFINISHED
premiereDate 28 October 1893
premierePlace St. Petersburg NERFINISHED
structureFeature second movement in 5/4 meter
third movement often perceived as march-like scherzo
style late-Romantic
titleMeaning Pathétique means ‘passionate’ or ‘emotional’ in French NERFINISHED
workNumberInComposerOutput last numbered symphony by Tchaikovsky

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 "Pathétique" alsoKnownAs Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony