ABSTRACT
Each of the movements of the Sixth bears an emotional and conceptual weight, exceeding those of many other symphonies. As Klimovitsky has noted, the four-movement cycle of the symphony is distinguished by paradox in the sequence of the movements in complete contradiction to the expectations built up by the previous movement. This unusual cycle has three centres of gravity, each one with its special function and unique relationship to the others: the first movement Allegro non troppo, the third Scherzo-march and the Finale. The interconnectedness between movements I and III is confirmed by Tchaikovsky's sudden return to the first movement in the middle of his work on the Scherzo, in order to compose a slow introduction in minor, which now opens the symphony. The Scherzo-march stands apart from the rest of the symphony in its prevailing major mode in both the literal and the metaphorical sense, and in its exultant-triumphant nature.
