ABSTRACT
The generic definition of the third movement as a Scherzo-march forms part of Tchaikovsky's working notes. Nemirovskaya traces and analyses the ambivalence of meanings in Tchaikovsky's scherzo-march examples: Andantino from the Second Symphony, Wedding march from Undine, Scherzo from the Third Symphony. The entire musical substance of the movement is basically alien to all the preceding and the following material of the symphony. It is totally, emphatically and antagonistically dissimilar, a complete antithesis. Moreover, the descending segment of Shostakovich's theme resembles certain motifs from the Scherzo section, and even more so the Fate motif from the first movement of Tchaikovsky's symphony. The attributes of mockery are in fact the same as those of hosanna, merely inverted, in accordance with the position of their object. In many ways similar to Russian artists, Ensor broadly exploited the Christ's image for social subtext. Although this particular painting was not on public display in Tchaikovsky's time.
