The "Symphonic Dances" allowed him to indulge in a nostalgia for the Russia he had known, much as he had done in the Third Symphony, as well as to effectively sum up his lifelong fascination with ecclesiastical chants. In the first dance, he quotes the opening theme of his First Symphony, itself derived from motifs characteristic of Russian church music. In the finale he quotes both the "Dies Irae" and the chant "Blessed art thou, Lord" ("Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi") from his "All-Night Vigil".