This Finale to my ninth symphony is a massive forty minute passacaglia. The movement is almost a symphony in itself and its sections correspond to First Movement, Scherzo, Slow Movement, Recapitulation, Fugue and Epilogue. The passacaglia theme heard at the outset is present throughout the movement in various guises, although in the Epilogue it is more of an irritant and ploughs implacably on in the bass line, ignoring all other elements of the music. There are sporadic references throughout the finale to music from the other three movements, although in the Epilogue these become much more frequent and extended. The overall key scheme of the symphony (C minor, E minor, A flat major, and C minor) also plays an important structural role in the finale.