Taking a Walk with Dvořák's Symphony No 9
III. Scherzo, molto vivace
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 ("From the New World")
I'm Dvořák, and I'm about to explain the III. Scherzo, molto vivace movement of my Symphony No 9. You'll hear a lively dance inspired by the feast scene in Hiawatha, and that's worth your time because once you know the picture, the quick, whirling rhythm makes immediate sense. Learning to recognize a piece the moment it plays is something my fellow composers and I teach here, so sit down with the Trainer and give it a try.
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Three Things for Your Ears
If you've never listened to a symphony, don't worry, because this is the movement where you can simply tap your foot. First, follow the pulse, which comes in groups of three, a quick one-two-three that keeps pushing the music forward. Second, listen for the timpani and the woodwinds throwing short, bright phrases back and forth, and wait for the triangle, which plays in this movement and nowhere else in the symphony. Third, notice that the character of the music changes in the middle and then returns, so you always know roughly where you are.Why It Wears Its Name
The title holds two ideas: scherzo names the kind of movement, and molto vivace tells the players to be very lively. What stood behind it was the feast scene in Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha, where there is dancing, and I wanted the music to carry that energy. You don't need to picture a detailed story, because the feeling of a crowd on its feet is enough. Some people like to say a train ride inspired it, but nobody has documented that, and the dancing feast is the inspiration I can stand behind.A Shape You Can Remember
Choosing the form was an adventure, and I settled on a ternary form, which has three parts. The first part is the fast scherzo in E minor, the middle is a calmer trio in C major, and then the scherzo comes back. If you like pictures, think of a sandwich with a gentler filling between two lively slices. I'll take the three parts one at a time, so you can hear how each one earns its place.Section 1: The Dance Starts Without Warning
I begin molto vivace, in 3/4 and in E minor, so the music is fast and a little dark at the same time. The rhythm keeps bouncing and the phrases are short, which gives the feeling of dancers who never quite stand still. Nothing here is slow or sentimental, because I want you to feel the energy before you've had time to think about it. Hold on to this opening, because you're going to meet it again.Section 2: A Breather in a Sunnier Key
Then the pace eases to poco sostenuto, which means a little more held back, and the key turns to C major. After the dark flavor of E minor, this key sounds brighter and more open, as if a window had been opened. The woodwinds have a lilting, friendly mood here, and the restless bounce loosens into something more relaxed. This is the trio, and its job is to give you a rest so the return of the dance feels fresh.Section 3: The Dancers Come Back
Now the scherzo returns in E minor and at its quick molto vivace pace, just as you remember it. Because you've had the calm middle, the old energy feels sharper than before, even though the music is the same. That is the neat trick of ternary form: the repeat sounds different because you have changed in between. When it ends, the movement has gone full circle, and the finale, Allegro con fuoco, is waiting.Your Turn: Press Play
Now it's your turn to hear this movement for yourself, so press play and let the dance carry you along. While it runs, you might remember the three-beat pulse, the triangle, and the calm middle in C major. You don't have to catch everything, because the music is happy to be enjoyed even when you only half follow it. I hope you have as much fun hearing it as I had writing it.---
Now that the last notes of the scherzo have faded, I hope you can still feel a little of its energy. I took my inspiration from the feast scene in Hiawatha, where the dancing begins, and I wanted the music to carry that same restless excitement. Then, in the middle, the mood relaxes and the music turns calmer, before the lively opening returns and the movement carries on to its end. Did you enjoy finding your way through the III. Scherzo, molto vivace of my Symphony No 9 with me? There is still a lot to explore in Symphony No 9, from the slow movement with its famous melody to the finale, where themes from earlier movements come back. If you'd like to keep going, please click on the links below and see what else this symphony has to offer. I'd be glad to have you along for the next listen.