TCHAIKOVSKY_Chris_Hill – Full Second movement from Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 ‘Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza’ – for TWENTY-ONE (21) VIOLONCELLOS

Movements or sections:
The symphony is conceived in four large movements:

I – Andante – Allegro con anima (E minor) – Molto più tranquillo (D major – E major)
II – Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza (B minor – D major)
III – Valse. Allegro moderato (A major) (Trio in F♯ minor)
IV – Finale: Andante maestoso (E major) – Allegro vivace (E minor) – Meno mosso (E major)


The second movement begins with the continuation of the tragic sonority in B minor, but a chord modulation leads to a D major theme first introduced by a solo horn. This movement is in a standard ternary form with the A section in D major, the B section alluding to F♯ minor, then a restatement of the A section with different orchestration.

Anecdote: The beginning of Annie’s Song by John Denver is almost identical to the first horn theme in the second movement, but it seems this was unintentional and only pointed out to Denver by his producer Milt Okun.