Third Movement "Sacrifice and Compromise"

A sweeping 16th note pyramid effect leads into a descending chromatic line in the strings to open the third movement. At m. 4, the French horns enter with a noble theme representing sacrifice. The sweeping 16th note figure fills in during the long notes in the French horn line. At m. 13, the strings take over the noble melody while the French horns move into a staccato and syncopated figure. This staccato figure becomes the dominant feature of the section at m. 17 while the woodwinds present a chord that grows into a four-note motif. This motif then expands into an English horn melody at 28 while the staccato, syncopated figure accompanies it. The harp also enters with chords used as punctuation. The English horn is used imitatively with the oboe at m. 33 and then the flute and clarinet are used in counterpoint on variants of the English horn line. At 47, the strings do the chord that expands into a four-note motif over the staccato, syncopated idea. At m. 59, the section with the noble French horn melody returns and is slightly expanded before leading into a 6/8 variant of the staccato, syncopated idea. This section at m. 74 develops the single chord to four-note motif. At m. 86, the English horn and a trumpet are used imitatively in a variant of the English horn melody used earlier. From m. 106-149, the number of voices used in imitation increases, as if more and more people are willing to compromise and join in on a solution. At m. 149, the chord to four-note motif idea returns and expands further leading into the noble French horn melody once more. Measure 177 introduces a new expansive theme in the clarinet and viola representing success. Triplet arpeggios alternate with syncopated rhythms to accompany this section. Everything keeps building in intensity leading to the final three measures where a rising pyramid effect followed by the three-note repeated chord from the introduction to the first movement occurs. This time the repeated chord motif creates a sense of triumph rather than foreboding. Throughout this movement, all the variants are also symbolic of compromise, which, in my opinion, is the only way that “global warming” is going to be solved. The issue cannot be ignored!

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Dr. B