Symphony No. 7 (Shostakovich) - Quotations and Allusions

Quotations and Allusions

• It has been alleged that Béla Bartók quoted the march theme of the first movement in the Intermezzo Interotto of his Concerto for Orchestra in response to the Hungarian composer’s frustration about the positive reception of the piece. The quotation is clearly the “invasion” theme, and the manner in which it is presented seems very much a parody. Bartók interjects his very romantic and lyrical melody in the movement with a much slower, dimwitted interpretation of Shostakovich’s invasion ostinato. The resemblance has been variously interpreted as an accusation of tastelessness, as a commentary on the symphony's over-popularity in Bartók's eyes, and as an acknowledgment of the position of the artist in a totalitarian society.