The purgatory
Leaving the circles of hell, Dante and Virgil find themselves at the feet of Mount Purgatory, in this case the second movement of the symphony.
The structure of the second movement is tripartite, with a solemn and quiet first section, in two parts; a second, more animated section in which a fugue is gradually built leading to a climax; finally a third section that sees the return to the initial sentiment, of which it summarizes the main themes.
This ternary structure reflects the architecture of Dante’s Purgatory: the ante-purgatory, where the excommunicate and the late repentant expiate their sins; the seven cornices of the mountain where the 7 deadly sins are expiated, and finally the earthly Paradise at the top, from which the soul, now purged of sin, ascends to Paradise.
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The Seven Cornices of Mount Purgatory
The section is marked Lamentoso, lamenting. The main theme, introduced by the violas, includes a series of fragments in B minor representing the grievances and suffering of penitents. The episode leads to a series of triplets:
The theme, retaken from the rest of the strings, is transformed into a fugue for five voices; with the addition of the woodwinds and the mournful notation the volume of the music increases, becomes more agitated (the notation on the score is Gemendo, moaning); the horns join the fugue in the climax, after which the music breaks up into fragments and slows down. However, it soon resumes and increases to a new, powerful climax (grandioso) that engages the entire orchestra:
A series of sequences passes from F minor to E flat major, through G flat minor and G minor, followed by a short transition in which static chords of horns and woodwinds respond to staccato triplets of cellos and double basses.
The key changes to D major, the violins play legato triplets accompanied by woodwind figures in gemendo (moaning) and then in dolente e appassionato, mournful and passionate, with muted horn chords. The music loses its intensity, led by the cellos towards a significant pause preluding to the earthly Paradise.
The Earthly Paradise and the Magnificat
The chorale heard in the opening movement is recapitulated by augmentation, accompanied by strings in pizzicato, alternating with the slower theme presented in the opening section. The tonality modulates from B major to B, reaching the final chorus without pause.
Magnificat
The symphonic poem ends with a chorus of female (or boys) voices on the first two lines of the Magnificat, which culminate in Osanna and Alleluia; in Dante’s Comedy the penitents in Purgatory chant Hosanna, as well as the souls in Paradise, but neither the Magnificat nor the invocation Hallelujah are mentioned.
Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
Hosanna!
Hallelujah!
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
Hosanna!
Hallelujah!
Liszt prescribes in the score that the choir remain hidden from the eyes of the audience:
The female or boys’ choir is not to be placed in front of the orchestra, but is to remain invisible together with the harmonium, or in the case of an amphitheatrical arrangement of the orchestra, is to be placed right at the top. If there is a gallery above the orchestra, it would be suitable to have the choir and harmonium positioned there. In any case, the harmonium must remain near the choir.
The tempo varies between 6/4 and 2/3, the choir sings on the backdrop of strings, woodwinds and two harps:
The tempo speeds up and the volume increases, while the time varies in 9/4 and 3/3.
The tempo drops at Un poco più lento, where a solo trumpet fades into silence, and a solo voice that could represent Beatrice sings the first verse of the Magnificat in B major
The second verse is sung by the choir accompanied by a solo cello, bassoons and clarinets.
The orchestra concludes in B major in a molto pianissimo dynamic; a second ending follows, faster: Più mosso, quasi Allegro. Trumpets and trombones, accompanied by ascending scales of strings and woodwinds, set the scene for the return of the choir that repeats the word Alleluia three times. The conclusion is grandiose plagal cadence in B major.
In the coda, the choir divided into two sings a series of modulations representing Dante’s ascent from celestial sphere after celestial sphere to the Empyrean: the Osanna descend from G # to C while the Alleluia rises from G # to F; the bass descends the whole tone scale from G # to A #, until the whole chorus joins in a triumphant Alleluia over the dominant, F#.
Liszt was particularly proud of this innovative use of the whole-tone scale, and mentioned it in a letter to Julius Schäffer, the music director of the Schwerin orchestra.
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