DSCH motif

DSCH is a musical motif used by the composer Dmitri Shostakovich to represent himself. It is a musical cryptogram in the manner of the BACH motif, consisting of the notes D, E-flat, C, B natural, or in German musical notation D, Es, C, H, thus standing for the composer's initials in German transliteration: D. Sch..

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
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
String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110
Symphony No. 14 in G minor, Op. 135
Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141.
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor, Op. 61

By others

Many homages to Shostakovich make extensive use of the motif.
The British composer Ronald Stevenson composed a large Passacaglia on it.
Also Edison Denisov dedicated some works to Shostakovich, by quoting the motif several times and using it as the first four notes of a twelve-tone series. Denisov was Shostakovich's protégé for a long time.