... the implacable repetition of three fateful notes. In the course of this movement, in fact in the entire symphony, the music arrives again and again at the same dead end. The design is clear from the very first bars. Shostakovich builds the first theme from three motifs. The first is from one of classic's greatest openings "Tah-Dah"." A favorite way of starting a piece for generations of ... the audience would have recognized the reference to the liturgy of the orthodox church. Shostakovich divided the strings of the orchestra into groups to give the impression of a choir singing. This is ...

• Word Count: 3530
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: High School