Tchaikovsky pathetique 3rd movement sheet

This is probably my single favorite Tchaikovsky piece and was undoubtedly responsible for my presenting Tchaikovsky with the coveted Schwartz Best Composer Ever Award when I was 7. Formally, it's a pretty straightforward scherzo in the form of a march.

However, it has so many brilliantly unusual moments, I'm going to have trouble fitting them all in to a reasonable space.

The movement opens with perpetual motion (the Italian term is "moto perpetuo") in the strings with an interesting counterpoint of a fanfare motive of fourths and descending successive fourths, first heard in the oboe in a rhythm that foreshadows the main rhythm of the movement.

Tchaikovsky pathetique 3rd movement sheet music

Basically, the fourths sound slightly odd because we expect either stepwise motion (the notes of a scale) or the outline of a triad (essentially, the notes of a chord). A rhythm of "Rum tum-ti Tum tum" is quickly established over the moto perpetuo and takes over the movement.

There are five major themes: