Musical monogram
Definition
A compositional device in which the letters of a person's name are converted into musical note-names to create a thematic cell. The tradition goes back at least to Bach's B-A-C-H motif (in German note-nomenclature: Bb-A-C-B natural). Shostakovich's D-S-C-H monogram is perhaps the most famous modern example. Schnittke used the device extensively as a tribute and dedication strategy, building several works on the monograms of colleagues and friends, including the First Piano Sonata (dedicated to Vladimir Feltsman).
Interpretive Guidance
When performing works built on musical monograms, bring out the motto theme clearly each time it appears, even in developmental or fragmentary forms: the monogram is the work's structural skeleton as well as its dedicatory signature. Listeners who recognise it will hear the work's architecture more clearly.