Tchaikovsky symphony no.4 mvt III

This movement is famous for having all the strings played pizzicatto the whole time. The melody first lies in the first violins. It is scaluar and almost all step wise motion. There is always constant 8th notes ocurring. There are fragile swells leading into a development period that brings us into a more noticeable and longer crescendo. There are very effective cascades of 8th notes going from the high strings to the low strings. The phrase is then repeated with the melody still in the firsts. It is modified this time as sequences of rising 8th notes is passed from voice to voice. A dimuendo occurs with the texture getting less thick and an oboe comes in by itself as the tempo is pushed up. This section is all dominated by the woodwinds. It is very light and fluffy. There is a multiple bar, long crescendo that just repeats a single bar leading us to a climax and a new version of the motivic gestures. The melody is then in the piccolo. A new section comes in with just the brass and timpani playing a version of the melody in the first violins at the beginning of the piece. The brass continue to play as the woodwinds, clarinet and flute add interjections of a higher rhythmic speed and intensity. The beginning is then repeated with the pizzicato in the strings just as before. The phrase is repeated again but at a softer dynamic and more intense swells. This scaluar passage is passed from ww chorale to string chorale with a very large crescendo ocurring. There is a modulating sequence modulating us to the key of the last movement. A shout chorus unfolds in the ww's as the strings just plop around. There is reflection with the brass motive coming back in ever so soft and fading in and out with the woodwinds. A descending run of 8th notes passed from string to string ends the piece at pp.