Allusive quotations in music: typology and forms of representation
Abstract
The article addresses the classification of quotation-allusions and the mechanisms of primary source representation within them. The author highlights the complexities involved in studying this phenomenon and presents various scholarly perspectives on the concept of “allusion.” Three distinct types of quotation-allusions are identified: (1) those based on a minimal element of the donor text, such as a single chord or motif (e.g., the quotation of the “longing” leitmotif from Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring); (2) those borrowing only a single parameter, such as a rhythmic pattern (e.g., Ça ira in Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites); and (3) those involving the reproduction of the entire musical fabric, albeit with significant modifications to all its components (e.g., the sleep leitmotif from Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre in Anton Bruckner’s Third Symphony). Specific examples are used to examine the representative properties of harmony, which can be manifested through: unique vertical structures (e.g., the quotation from Arnold Schoenberg’s Farben in Alban Berg’s Wozzeck); specific chord progressions (the folia in André Grétry’s opera Les fausses apparences, ou L’amant jaloux); and, finally, texture (the funeral march from Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in Vivian Fine’s opera The Woman in the Garden). The study demonstrates that the context of their appearance, including non-musical elements, is crucial for the attribution and analysis of quotation-allusions. Furthermore, the author highlights the significant role of such structures in 20th and 21st-century music, drawing parallels between their interpretation and the methods of deconstruction and recomposition. The conclusions formulate the specificities of perceiving such quotations, which ultimately define their artistic potential.
Keywords: musical quotation, allusion, representation, attribution, context, deconstruction, recomposition
For citation: Denisov, A. V. (2026). Allusive quotations in music: typology and forms of representation. Contemporary Musicology, 10(1), 33–53. https://doi.org/10.56620/2587-9731-2026-1-033-053References
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.56620/2587-9731-2026-1-033-053
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