Black Wings in Two Symphonies: Brahms's Second and Shostakovich's Tenth

Abstract

Shostakovich research has focused mainly on the discovery of models and musical codes with political import. Other influences have remained undetected. This article argues for a reconsideration of Shostakovich's use of Brahms as a model through an intertextual reading of the first movements of Brahms's Second and Shostakovich's Tenth symphonies.