DSCH motif

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 d es c b } }$

The DSCH motif, consisting of the notes D-E♭-C-B

DSCHis amusical motifused by the composerDmitri Shostakovichto represent himself. It is amusical cryptogramin the manner of theBACH motif,consisting of the notesD, E-flat, C, B natural,or inGerman musical notationD, Es, C, H(pronounced as "De-Es-Ce-Ha" ), thus standing for the composer's initials inGermantransliteration:D. Sch.(DmitriSchostakowitsch).

Usage

By Shostakovich

The motif occurs in many of his works, including:

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor,Op. 77
Fugue No. 15 in D-flat major,Op. 87 (only once, in the stretto)
String Quartet No. 5 in B-flat major,Op. 92
Symphony No. 10 in E minor,Op. 93
String Quartet No. 6 in G major,Op. 101 (Played all at once by the four instruments at the end of each movement)
String Quartet No. 8 in C minor,Op. 110 (appears in every single movement)
Symphony No. 15 in A major,Op. 141.
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor,Op. 61 (questionable)^{[clarification needed]}

By others

Many homages to Shostakovich (such asSchnittke'sPrelude in memory of Dmitri ShostakovichorTsintsadze's 9th String Quartet) make extensive use of the motif. The British composerRonald Stevensoncomposed a largePassacagliaon it. AlsoEdison Denisovdedicated some works (1969 DSCH for clarinet, trombone, cello and piano, and his 1970saxophonesonata) to Shostakovich, by quoting the motif several times and using it as the first four notes of atwelve-tone series.Denisov was Shostakovich's protégé for a long time.^[1]

References

^Taruskin, Richard (2010).Music in the Late Twentieth Century: The Oxford History of Western Music.Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. p. 463.ISBN 9780195384857.

Bibliography

Brown, Stephen C., “Tracing the Origins of Shostakovich’s Musical Motto,”Intégral20 (2006): 69–103.
Gasser, Mark. "Ronald Stevenson, Composer-Pianist: An Exegetical Critique from a Pianistic Perspective".PhD diss. [Western Australia]: Edith Cowan University, 2013.

External links

"DSCH – Shostakovich's Motto",DSCH journal
- "DSCH Quotation Examples",DSCH journal

[1] Taruskin, Richard (2010).Music in the Late Twentieth Century: The Oxford History of Western Music.Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. p. 463.ISBN 9780195384857.

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