The overall mood of this piece is peaceful and calm throughout. There is no conflict or dramatic tension. While objectively it is a fantastic work of art, I personally found it to be less eventful and drier than “The Rite of Spring”.

In Part II, the pace picks up around 1:12. The string instruments crescendo to forte  and increase in tempo. This is accompanied by the man in the black hat dancing with the five women. The man gives off an air of dignity and honor. The five dancing women demonstrate that the event is so significant that it involves an entire community. At first the dancing man is the focus of attention, but later in the fourth minute a woman takes over with similarly enthusiastic string accompaniment.

In Part III, the bride and groom dance together. A violin melody is played several times, including at 1:39. The simple and homely nature of the melody reminds me of a small-town American pioneer village. At 3:03 the preacher begins a dance of his own, this time with no hat. He dances extremely energetically, and the strings are frantic and tense. This leads up to him pointing at the couple at 4:30. The preacher seems to build up spiritual energy and direct it at the couple to form their marriage. This is the climax of the piece.

Throughout the piece such as at 6:58 of Part III, the four women and the preacher dance together. This indicates that the five of them together represent the congregation and community in which the wedding takes place. They provide a background and context for the bride and groom.

In Part IV, the bride and groom reunite in dance around 2:15. They dance joyfully in celebration. The melody of their dance in Part III is repeated at 3:00, like a Wagnerian leitmotif. The piece ends with the preacher and congregation departing around 5:35. The two lovers remain, as they are the focal point of the story. The music ends peacefully and quietly. However, the last few notes do not resolve and instead ask a question as the lovers embrace, ‘What next?’