ok, we are now in solid C Major for this movement, which is essentially an expounding upon the third and last folk song, "the crane." like the spinner song, i can't find any record of this song besides that it is used here, so just trust in the flavor of the tune :)
i read a program note comparing the opening fanfare to the great gate of kiev composed only a year later, and i rather like the comparison. it only works for about the first minute, though, because then this movement takes on a rather whirly folk dance like character (decidedly not great gate-esque). we get mostly every type of variation on the first two bars of this theme, with every instrument and other keys (e minor, at around 1:45). there is a nice little section where he alternates between the C major and an augmented sixth chord (A-flat). the second subject is a lilting theme at 3:00, in A-flat major, with the violins first. this pretty much gives us the entire scope of the movement's material, for the crane theme comes back and takes over the texture again, but this time it is also in A-flat major.
the development starts with a series of descending major thirds that is a continuation of the cadence at 4:33. we descend to a low of Db, and now we get statements of developmental snatches of both themes.
eventually we end up firmly back in c major, and it is more or less a straight shot to the end except for one lull in the action, at around 8:26, where the repetition of the theme gets interrupted by a little ornament in the piccolo and rising chromatic themes. the brass repeat their motif of descending thirds (basically a big diminished seventh chord), and this is accented at the bottom by a gong of all things. but after that big dramatic silence it's like OH WELL! and then we do the big happy ending that everyone is expecting. really this movement tires me out haha. i am really tired of hearing that theme by the end, which is after all only two bars long. but it is still fun :)
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