In terms of hidden meanings in his music, most musicologists agree that Shostakovich sometimes used a musical cryptogram representing the letters, DSCH. It was a way to explicitly identify himself with a particular section being played. The DSCH is found in a number of his string quartets, concerti, and symphonies, but one of the most dramatic examples is provided in his 10th symphony. Note that J. S. Bach had done similarly 200 years earlier, using the letters BACH.
The 10th was his first symphony released after the death of Stalin. There is much that could be discussed about the entire work, but here the focus is on the DSCH. The second movement leaves little doubt that it is a portrait of Stalin; here is what Shostakovich said about the 10th, as related in Solomon Volkov’s 1979 book, Testimony (p.171):
I did depict Stalin in my next symphony, the Tenth. I wrote it right after Stalin’s death and no one has yet guessed what the symphony is about. It’s about Stalin and the Stalin years. The second part, the scherzo, is a musical portrait of Stalin, roughly speaking. Of course, there are many other things in it, but that’s the basis.
The considerable use of snare drum can only be interpreted as representing gun shots. And the swirling gallop of the strings and percussion from the brass produces an unmistakable image.
Much of the rest of the symphony depicts despair, sadness, and hopelessness. Even into the 4th movement; ever new ways of painting the tragedy created by Stalin.
However, part-way through the movement, a new theme with a bit of action appears in the woodwinds. However, the strings attempt to bring the mood back to lamentation, and this toggle continues several times, each becoming more vigorous. Finally the string response seems to win, and the restatement of movement 2 is in full force, full Stalin mode.
But before long, the first DSCH in this movement appears, quenching the Stalin theme. This is followed by several bars of mourning, and then a new battle occurs between fragments of the Stalin theme and DSCH. After several iterations of increasing intensity, the culmination occurs with the doubling of DSCH (twice as slow, and powerful), followed finally by a shift to a major key and the ending. Shostakovich has vanquished Stalin!
The following table summarizes these 4th movement events, with the timings taken from the September 2013 recording by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, directed by Shostakovich’s friend, Polish conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski.
It begins following the opening of the movement in a somber lamentation:
| 43:00 | beginning of 4th movement in somber mode |
| 46:45 | woodwinds and strings in dialogue to attempt to end the lament |
| 48:23 | clarinet says “let’s run” – strings agree, mood changes |
| 49:40 | Beginnings of re-statement of movement 2 Stalin profile |
| 52:00 | full Stalin re-statement |
| 52:47 | DSCH!! Enough! |
| 53:25 | more DSCH brass toggles with increasing Stalin-like attempts to overcome |
| 56:00 | DSCH’s doubled in length, with power |
| 56:49 | change to major key, brief triumphal ending |
Shostakovich used DSCH fairly often in his compositions, but hardly any are more obvious and politically directed than this example.