Symphony No. 6 in E minor
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Work background
Researched classical background
Vaughan Williams links the four movements of this symphony without conventional pauses. Forceful opening music and an agitated scherzo give way to an entire final movement marked to remain very quiet. The tenor saxophone adds an unusual colour to the scherzo. Although the symphony followed the war, no single explanatory narrative accounts for its design.
A listening guide
Compare the scherzo's saxophone with the sustained quiet of the final Epilogue.
Listening suggestions are editorial guides to the music.
Forces: Orchestra including tenor saxophone
Composition: 1944-1947
Composed 1944-47; first performed in 1948, with subsequent revisions.
This entry describes the musical work or cycle. Composition, premiere and publication dates describe different events. Performers and recordings can be explored through the external listening search.
Date, title and version notes
Specific nuclear-war or end-of-world interpretations are not established as the composer's programme.
Los Angeles Philharmonic: Vaughan Williams Sixth Symphony
Musical structure and disputed interpretations | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Ralph Vaughan Williams Society: list of works
Composition and revision dates, scoring and authorized titles | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Sources for this work
Los Angeles Philharmonic: Vaughan Williams Sixth Symphony
Musical structure and disputed interpretations | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Ralph Vaughan Williams Society: list of works
Composition and revision dates, scoring and authorized titles | Reviewed 2026-10-19
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