Scene 4: Wozzeck, in anguish, returns to the dark forest where he had stabbed his mistress. As he washes his hands, he drowns while the captain and the doctor who tormented him so, seem unmoved. The orchestra sounds fateful throughout this scene and continues with a powerful interlude before the next scene painting a picture of the tragedy of Wozzeck's life and death.

Scene 5: Wozzeck's son goes out to see the body of his mother with the other children. The music sounds like twisted nursery rhymes. The inevitability of the situation gives rise to hopelessness and depression. The end of the scene and the opera is subtle and without fanfare. It ends as if it were just another day in the life of the troubled.

As you listen, notice the characteristics which are typical of modern melody and harmony. Although this opera is primarily atonal, it is more romantic than the works of other serial composers. This work is not a twelve-tone composition. For contrast and emotional impact, Berg takes excursions into tonal areas, both major and minor. The interlude before scene five is one of these moments where the music sounds more like late romantic opera than atonality. Another trait of this period is the various singing styles used by Berg such as sprechstimme, speaking, and emotional shrieking. The melodies themselves are angular with large leaps and awkward twists. Dynamics are extreme, from pppp to ffff. The large orchestra moves from soloistic melodies to explosive tutti ensembles. The orchestra with its expanded pitch range is used by Berg to create unusual sonorities and sound effects increasing the impact of the libretto.
