The symphony opens with a smooth sonata-allegro movement in A minor that gives the effect of a single flowing gesture.
Both main themes are in 3/4 time, with the first unfolding in the violins and the second passed around the woodwinds.
[2] The second movement is a scherzo, and is unusual in Piston's output both for harmonic novelty and an adventurous approach to orchestration.
The second time A occurs, this theme is embellished, and the final A powerfully recapitulates it in the full orchestra.
[6] The first and third movements, as well as the second and fourth, are paired through the use of mode (minor in the first and third, major in the second and fourth), motives (broadly lyrical vs. brightly syncopated), form, color, and mood, and a satisfying, balanced whole is achieved in this way, along with the key scheme of the four movements: A minor, D major, F♯ minor, and A major.