# Interesting and unknown quotes in pieces



## John O (Jan 16, 2021)

*Interesting and unknown quotes intelligent known pieces*

I have listen to and read extensively on Bartok's music for years and am aware of the two famous quotes in the Concerto for Orchestra. However, only recently, did I come across a reference to the quote (or misquote) of Charlie Chaplin's nonsense song from the film Modern Times that appears at the beginning of the last movement of Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (houstonsymphony.org) . At first I doubted that it was true since as it is not mentioned in any of the books that analyse the Music for Strings in detail. But it does appear to be true that Bartok quotes Chaplin.

What fascinating and obscure yet genuine quotes have you discovered in well known pieces over the years?


----------



## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

The old hymn tune "O Sanctissima" (O du fröhliche is the German carol) makes an appearance in the finale of Mahler's 2nd symphony - to me it's as clear as can be, yet I can't recall any writer on this work mentioning this. It appears at 58:51 or so in this version.


----------



## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Since the discussion concerns Mahler and movie songster Charlie Chaplin, I'll remind folks that Mahler seems to have lifted the theme from movie songster John Williams's score for _Schindler's List_. Listen at 9:25 or so in the first part of the Mahler Symphony No. 8.






But we all knew Mahler was a big movie fan.


----------

